Prime Minister Scott Morrison says every state and territory was on track to hit the 80 per cent full vaccination target by the end of 2021
People queue up outside a department store in Melbourne. Pic/AFP
Australia has hit a new COVID-19 vaccination milestone, with 90 per cent of the people aged 16 and over having received one dose of a jab, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Friday. Speaking to the media, he said that every state and territory was on track to hit the 80 per cent full vaccination target by the end of 2021, a mark already achieved in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Victoria and New South Wales, all of which endured strict lockdowns between August and October, reports Xinhua news agency. “We are going to have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. That goes with having one of the best records in the world on saving lives,” Morrison said. Anticipating the 90 per cent milestone, Health Minister Greg Hunt on Thursday described it as an “extraordinary” achievement.
ADVERTISEMENT
Australia on Friday reported more than 1,400 new locally acquired COVID-19 infections, which increased the overall caseload to 187,041. The death toll currently stood at 1,873. COVID restrictions in Australia’s capital Canberra further eased on Friday, moving to baseline-level restrictions that are expected to stay in place across summer. With Australia gradually reopening its international borders, Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said international students would be able to enter every state without quarantining by the end of the year.
Japan to get 1.6 million doses of oral meds
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Friday that his government has decided to secure 1.6 million doses of oral medication for COVID-19 and increase the hospitalisation capacity for infected patients by 30 per cent compared to the peak level this summer.
Battle over vaccination, mandates continues
A political battle over COVID-19 vaccination and mask mandates has continued in the US, as the federal government pushed through its inoculation campaign with young children being targeted in the latest efforts. A coalition of 10 states, led by Missouri, has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate imposed on healthcare workers, which they said was “unconstitutional and unlawful”, Xinhua news agency quoted local media reports as saying. Missouri was joined in the suit by eight other states with Republican Governors — Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Wyoming, Alaska, South Dakota, North Dakota and New Hampshire.
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
