Australia agrees Pfizer deal with Poland
An additional one million Pfizer vaccine doses have started arriving in Australia after the Morrison government secured a deal with Poland.
Half of the doses will targeted at those aged 20 to 39 in 12 NSW local district authorities, savaged by the coronavirus outbreak.
The rest of the doses, made in Pfizer's Belgian plant, will be shared around the country.
"Within days of landing in Australia, these extra Pfizer doses will be available to go into the arms of young Australians in our hardest hit COVID hot-spots," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday.
"These young Australians are often the backbone of our essential workforce and these doses will not only protect them, but their loved ones, their state and our nation."
NSW announced another 415 virus cases on Sunday and a further four deaths, bringing the toll to 48 in the current outbreak.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian welcomed the additional vaccines, but Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said people shouldn't put off getting vaccinated waiting for these additional Pfizer jabs.
He reiterated the best COVID-19 vaccine is "the one you can get today", noting AstraZeneca doses are in abundance..
Victoria will get 175,500 of the extra Pfizer vaccines from Poland.
Premier Daniel Andrews declined to discuss whether the state will need to extend its lockdown even further after recording a further 25 cases on Sunday.
An additional 17,550 doses of Pfizer are expected to arrive in Tasmania in the coming week.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr welcomed the extra 14,000 Pfizer jabs the territory will receive, but pointed out this is equivalent to one week's worth of doses being undertaken by ACT government clinics.
"It will allow us to do more but it isn't such a dramatic increase in supply that will allow us to do radically more," Mr Barr told reporters.
The ACT, also in a week-long lockdown, recorded two additional cases, bringing the total to nine since last Thursday.
Queensland enjoyed a zero day for cases.
The federal government will start rolling out a fast COVID-19 screening program for NSW aged care residents and visitors that will be done on site and more regularly.
The COVID-19 rapid antigen testing (RAT) program will begin on Monday at the Uniting Bankstown Aged Care Facility, and then progressively roll out to other facilities who have expressed interest in participating.
"Given the rate at which we know the Delta variant can be spread between people, the very fast turnaround of RAT - around 15 minutes - makes these tests useful in preventing asymptomatic transmission and outbreaks as they can be used on a daily basis," Health Minister Greg Hunt said.
