No new cases, vaccine rollout on track

Western Australia has not recorded any new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 for the fourth consecutive day, federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has revealed.

During a press conference this morning, Mr Hunt confirmed that there had only been one new community case of COVID-19 recorded in Australia overnight, that being in Victoria.

The news coincided with Prime Minister Scott Morrison's announcement that Australia had secured an additional 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with the roll out of the COVID vaccine on track to begin in a matter of weeks.

Mr Morrison said the additional vaccines were secured on the advice of the nation’s Vaccine Committee and would take the total number of doses secured to 150 million; which includes the Novavax and Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines.

Mr Hunt said the rollout of the vaccine was on track to begin in the last week of February for the Pfizer vaccine and the first week of March for the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, subject to its approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

He said the vaccine rollout was the next significant step in protecting Australians from the deadly virus.

Free vaccines will be provided to all visa holders in Australia in a bid to ensure the maximum possible coverage.

It is anticipated that all Australians will have been vaccinated by October this year.

More to come.