High price Morrison had to pay to secure his four-phase plan

The in-principle agreement with premiers was a much needed win for Morrison who copped heavy criticism this week.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison holds a press conference after the national cabinet meeting at Parliament House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Scott Morrison has sketched out the road back to life without lockdowns in a major update to the national strategy for managing the Covid-19 virus.

The four phase blueprint – agreed in-principle in today’s meeting — is aimed at steadying the national cabinet and uniting state and territory leaders under a common purpose while providing hope for everyday Australians and businesses owners that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

It was the most critical national cabinet meeting this year, with Morrison using the opportunity to reassert a sense of personal leadership and direction over the pandemic response after a string of outbreaks plunged 11 million Australians across the nation into lockdowns and fuelled concerns over the new highly infectious Delta variant.

But the pathway out will also see the nation adopting a “Fortress Australia” footing in the interim, with Morrison agreeing to the states’ demands to slash overseas arrivals by 50 per cent.

This was the price Morrison had to pay to secure the in-principle agreement of the premiers for his four point plan, and is testament to the heightened political power state leaders now wield in the new world wrought by the pandemic.

How seriously the states take the new road map will be vital to its success.

Still, the agreement was a much needed political win for Morrison who had copped heavy criticism this week over the slow vaccine rollout and pushback against his advice for younger Australians to consider taking the AstraZeneca jab in consultation with their GP.

The outcome will also anchor the states and territories to the achievement of new goals, keep alive national cabinet as an effective vehicle for managing the pandemic response and instil it with a renewed sense of purpose moving forward.

Morrison has succeeded in getting things back on track. But movement between the four phases, ending with Covid-19 being treated in the same way as any other infectious disease, will be slow and no timeline has been set.

Swift progress will be essential with glacial advancements certain to frustrate the public. Having outlined aspirations, Morrison must ensure the national cabinet can now meet them.

Progress between the phases is to be triggered by the achievement of key vaccination thresholds which will be informed by scientific modelling. These are yet to be determined, with that fight also being kicked down the road.

Morrison indicated it would not be until next year when the nation entered phase 2 – the post vaccination phase – in which lockdowns are only implemented in extreme circumstances and restrictions are eased for vaccinated residents.

This suggests another six months of the status quo although trials will be introduced in the meantime for alternative quarantine arrangements, including home quarantine for returning travellers who have been vaccinated.

It is not until stage three – the consolidation phase — when lockdowns are removed as a tool of pandemic response and vaccinated residents are exempted from all domestic restrictions.