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2.34am BST
Berejiklian is asked whether today’s result of 262 cases, a significant reduction on Saturday’s figure, is a sign of downward trend.
She says it is not, but says it is promising that there is no exponential growth.
We certainly have not seen that, which is one positive, but obviously the trend is that if you have successive days of a reduction in numbers, we don’t have that yet. It is only a day.
2.31am BST
Gladys Berejiklian is asked about how her plan to ease restrictions at six millions doses, or about 50% first doses delivered, aligns with the Doherty Institute report modelling, which aims for a far higher vaccination rate before opening up.
Berejiklian says the two issues should not be conflated. She is talking about easing lockdown restrictions. The Doherty report is talking about changing the nation’s entire mindset from focussing on cases to hospitalisations.
We are currently in lockdown. Lockdown, plus some level of easing of restrictions, is possible once we get to 50% or 60% rates of vaccination. I want to be clear about this. Some people are conflating the two issues. The Doherty report is an outstanding report which New South Wales government supports, and of course, but it does this suggest that when you get to 70% vaccination you can then focus on the number of hospitalisations as opposed to the number of cases, and that is really a mind shift on how we live with COVID. But until we get to 70% of their opportunities for us to ease restrictions currently, or to ease restrictions that are currently in place. Once you get to a certain level of vaccination. It is a different proposition, but one that New South Wales is looking closely out, and I made those views clear at National Cabinet.
