Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk refuses to divulge plans for post-jab-target restrictions

Annastacia Palaszczuk will not say what Covid restrictions will ­remain once Australia reaches its vaccination target of 80 per cent.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Brisbane on Monday. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Annastacia Palaszczuk will not say what Covid restrictions will ­remain once Australia reaches its vaccination target of 80 per cent, as Queensland readies for ­increased Pfizer supplies.

The Queensland Premier said Delta had “moved the goalposts” on reopening plans and national cabinet agreed new modelling was needed before decisions could be made on when to abolish lockdowns and border closures.

State and territory leaders last month agreed to vaccination rate thresholds recommended by the Doherty Institute, which were based on there being 30 active cases in the community.

“We continue to back the ­nationally agreed plan for lockdowns to be minimised and ­restrictions to be limited when vaccination rates reach 70 to 80 per cent,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“(The federal government) has commissioned more research ­because the goalposts have changed.

“So the goalposts have changed in the fact that it was premised on there being around 30 cases and now we have thousands of cases.”

Ms Palaszczuk said her state was still pursuing a suppression strategy and was aiming for 80 per cent vaccination.

“But even 70 per cent and 80 per cent vaccination rates, as I have said and as is in the modelling as well, there will be some limited restrictions and some limited, or specified, lockdowns.”

Ms Palaszczuk said “everyone on national cabinet”, which ­includes Scott Morrison, agreed extra modelling was now needed.

Under the Prime Minister’s freedom plan, lockdowns are still possible when 70 per cent of the population is vaccinated.

Mr Morrison said he was ­advised by Doherty Institute professor Jodie McVernon at the weekend that high case numbers would not change the overall plan.

“There is further sensitivity work that’s being done around that,” he said.

Meanwhile, Queensland’s Health Minister fears Pfizer doses will go to waste if more people do not join the state’s vaccine waitlist.

Yvette D’Ath said the state vaccinated 112,397 people in the past week and there were only 70,000 people in the jab queue.

Ms D’Ath said those aged 16-59 years who wanted the Pfizer vaccine were very likely to get a booking slot in the next fortnight.

“We have Pfizer and we want you to come forward and get vaccinated,” she said.