Tens of thousands of Queenslanders queued at community hubs during the state’s “super Pfizer weekend” and were commended by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Ms Palaszczuk said more than 56,000 doses were expected to have been administered across the weekend, with the final count continuing.
She said 33,004 people turned up across 38 community hubs on Saturday alone.
Ms Palaszczuk said the weekend blitz would see the state reach 60 per cent of people with their first shot, with about 41 per cent fully vaccinated.
She said the state’s vaccination rate would be a key factor in whether borders could reopen.
“We all hope that we can see our relatives and friends at Christmas time.
“That’s going to depend on people getting vaccinated.”
Sydney restrictions ease
Meanwhile those in Sydney’s hardest hit suburbs are set for their first taste of freedom in months, with recreation rules relaxing as vaccination rates continue to climb.
Reporting 1083 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Sunday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian thanked residents in a dozen LGAs of concern for their resilience before offering them the extra freedoms granted to the rest of the city a week earlier.
“The opportunity for us to ease the restrictions in the areas of concern, or equalise them in line with the rest of Sydney, is due in large part to the high rates of vaccination,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We have seen some of those communities go from rates of around 19 or 20 per cent up to nearly 90 per cent and that is extremely encouraging.”
Fully vaccinated adults in the 12 government areas will from Monday be able to exercise outdoors with no time limits, and gather in groups of five for outdoor recreation within five kilometres from home.
Children under 12 are not included in the gathering limit.
Conditions for authorised workers and travel permit requirements will remain in place in the LGAs of concern, however.
Melbourne lockdown continues
Melbourne will be in lockdown until late October, with greater freedoms to be granted to fully vaccinated Victorians once the state reaches the 80 per cent double-dose target.
Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday unveiled Victoria’s “cautious” roadmap out of lockdown, as the state recorded 507 new COVID-19 cases and the death of a man in his 90s, bringing the toll from the latest outbreak to 11.
According to the plan, outdoor sports such as golf and tennis can return and the 10-kilometre travel limit will increase to 15km when 80 per cent of Victorians aged over 16 have received a single vaccine dose, which is forecast for September 26.
Melbourne’s restrictions will then remain unchanged until 70 per cent of Victorians are double vaccinated, which is forecast for October 26.
At that stage, the city’s curfew will be lifted, the 10km travel limit will increase to 25km and pubs, restaurants and cafes will be able to open outdoors with a limit of 50 fully vaccinated people.
Fully vaccinated people will also be able to get a haircut and gather outdoors in groups of 10, while religious ceremonies and community sport can also resume outdoors.
Once Victoria reaches its 80 per cent double-dose target, forecast about November 5, the travel limit is scrapped altogether, retail, gyms and beauty services can reopen for the fully vaccinated and hospitality can resume indoors. Childcare can also return.
