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.

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.