After mulling it over for a week, National Cabinet now agrees on a plan out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s catch up on what that means.

After mulling it over for a week, National Cabinet has now “fully agreed” on its plan out of the COVID-19 pandemic.  
The four-stage plan aims for Australia to reach a point where we can “live with the virus” and move away from all but the most targeted lockdowns. 
It was outlined last week, but Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the plan was only agreed to “in principle”. Today he said it has now been confirmed.
Let’s catch up on what the plan looks like.
First up, what did the Prime Minister say today?
Scott Morrison said the plan aims to allow Australia to eventually say goodbye to lockdowns.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the plan at the Lodge last week, before it was fully confirmed today.(ABC News: Ian Cutmore
)
“Today we fully agreed [to] the national plan that I outlined to you last Friday,” Mr Morrison said.
“I said it was agreed to in principle last week, and today it was confirmed and fully agreed.
“That pathway that takes us to the position where we live with this virus  where we ultimately start saying goodbye to lockdowns once we reached 70 per cent vaccination in the population and then ultimately move away from them in the third phase.”
Phase A: Vaccinate, prepare, pilot
This is the phase we are currently under. Authorities are working to suppress the virus with the aim of minimising community transmission.
It’s a strategy that we’re already used to, which includes:

  • Accelerating vaccine rates, including implementing a national vaccination plan
  • Closing international borders to keep COVID-19 out
  • Early, stringent and short lockdowns if outbreaks occur
  • Preparing a vaccine booster program
  • Undertaking a further review of the national hotel quarantine network

More than 70 per cent of the eligible population will need to have received both doses of a coronavirus vaccine before the nation moves to phase B. 
Mr Morrison said he believed the country could reach this target of 70 per cent before the end of the year.
Phase B: Vaccine transition phase
This phase seeks to minimise serious illness, hospitalisation and fatalities from COVID-19. Changes include:

  • Restrictions easing on vaccinated residents, which could include lockdowns and border controls
  • Lockdowns only in “extreme circumstances” to prevent escalating hospitalisation and fatality
  • Restore inbound passenger caps at previous levels for unvaccinated returning travellers and larger caps for vaccinated returning travellers
  • Allow capped entry of student and economic visa holders subject to quarantine arrangements being available
  • Introduce new reduced quarantine arrangements for vaccinated residents
  • The possible introductions of a COVID vaccine booster programme

Phase C: Vaccination consolidation phase
This phase will come into force once the nation hits 80 per cent of the population being fully vaccinated.
Phase C will allow for increased entry of student, economic and humanitarian visa holders.(ABC News: James Carmody
)
According to the Prime Minister, this phase will include: 

  • No lockdowns
  • A continued vaccine booster programme
  • Exempt vaccinated residents from all domestic restrictions
  • Removing caps on returning vaccinated travellers
  • Allow increased entry of student, economic, and humanitarian visa holders
  • Lift all restrictions on outbound travel for vaccinated persons
  • Extend travel bubble for unrestricted travel to new candidate countries, which could include Singapore and Pacific nations.

Phase D: Final post-vaccination phase
Victoria enters sixth lockdown amid mystery cases.(ABC News)
The fourth and final phase of the government’s four-step plan sees things as “normal” as possible.
The plan is to:

  • Allow uncapped inbound arrivals for vaccinated people without quarantine
  • Allow uncapped arrivals of non-vaccinated travellers subject to testing before flights and on arrival

Read more about the vaccine rollout:
One more thing, could this plan change?
It is worth keeping in mind that Nobel prize winner Peter Doherty said earlier in the week that nothing was set in stone.
However, he said it is important to have targets to aim for.
“As time goes by, the models adapt. So models are constantly being refined,” he said.
“They’re not the 10 Commandments handed down to Moses by God.
“They’re basically models. It’s intelligence gathering, intelligence speculation.”
What you need to know about coronavirus: