Scott Morrison hopeful the nation will be open by Christmas

Scott Morrison says he hopes the country can emerge from lockdowns and prepare to shift to the next phase of his post-coronavirus reopening plan by Christmas.

Scott Morrison in Canberra on Wednesday. Picture: Gary Ramage

Scott Morrison hopes the country can emerge from lockdowns and prepare to shift to the next phase of his post-coronavirus reopening plan by Christmas.

Treasury and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity are expected in coming weeks to finalise the data that will form the Prime Minister’s vaccination thresholds for reopening.

Mr Morrison said on Wednesday the recent push towards getting people under 60 to take up the AstraZeneca jab had greatly boosted the vaccine rollout, and it was now likely the nation would escape its current spate of lockdowns in the next six months.

“Our vaccination rates are now running. We are even doing better than one million per week. And the upgraded advice from ATAGI … means that we are going to get much more effectiveness out of the AstraZeneca vaccine,” the Prime Minister said at The Lodge.

“I would expect by Christmas that we would be seeing a very different Australia to what we are seeing now.

“We are setting the target scientifically, combined with the economic advice as well, and that gets us a road map to Christmas.”

National cabinet has already flagged that the vaccination rates needed to end the ongoing lockdowns will have to be higher than the thresholds used in Britain and Canada.

Mr Morrison said on Wednesday he hoped the thresholds would be ready in coming weeks, but that he was willing to extend the process to get the data right.

“I hope that we’re talking a couple of weeks. I hope,” the PM said.

“But if it takes longer than that, then it will take longer than that. What matters is getting it right.

“And we are one of few countries, to the best of my knowledge, that has gone through the scientific process … and said, well, what rates do you really need?”

“If you get that wrong, well, you end up with a very long lockdowns. And nobody wants that.”