Hospital systems are expected to come under increasing pressure when Australia reopens, as states are urged against taking an aggressive approach to relaxing COVID-19 restrictions.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It comes as NSW plans to hand major freedoms to fully-vaccinated residents when 70 per cent double-dose coverage is achieved for people 16 and older.
Doherty Institute director Sharon Lewin backs the principle of giving greater freedoms to fully-vaccinated people.
"Each state is going to work through what is and isn't acceptable. My personal view is that it would be fabulous if we had consistency across the states when opening up," she told ABC radio on Friday.
But Professor Lewin warns vaccines aren't enough on their own and urges leaders against taking an approach that's too aggressive.
"The major risk here is the health system in NSW and that is what's going to be absolutely critical in dialling up or down any measures," she said.
"The health system is really struggling there with a lot of people in hospital. That's going to be the determining factor."
Epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws acknowledges Sydney residents' lockdown fatigue but says NSW's reopening plan is inequitable.
"I would really ask the authorities to find a way of ensuring that when they do open up that the young adults can actually be part of that," she told the Nine Network.
"But they can't at the moment because they've really been left behind with vaccine opportunities.
"Authorities really should make a catch-up plan so the young really can get vaccinated faster than they have been able to."
The Australian Medical Association wants NSW to release more detail about the modelling behind its decision to reopen.
"NSW is right to ease restrictions slowly and to limit changes to people who are fully vaccinated," AMA president Omar Khorshid said.
"However, the key problem facing NSW is that it is looking to ease restrictions when case numbers are likely to be too high."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison acknowledges easing restrictions will increase pressure on hospital systems, but he doesn't think this should stop states emerging from lockdown.
"That comes with additional pressure on the hospital system. That's understood. That is inevitable," he told reporters on Thursday.
"If you want to live with the virus, you inevitably have to pass down that tunnel, and that will be true in every single state and territory in the country."
Business Council of Australia research shows 71 per cent of Australians support reopening state borders when vaccine coverage reaches 70 per cent.
The survey of 1200 people found 77 per cent want hard internal borders scrapped at an 80 per cent immunisation rate.
Australia has fully vaccinated 40.4 per cent of its over-16 population, while 65.4 per cent have received a single dose.
There were 1405 new cases and five deaths in NSW on Thursday.
Victoria recorded 324 new infections as Melbourne's outbreak continues to grow despite a harsh lockdown.
The ACT recorded 15 new cases and will announce its gradual steps out of restrictions on Tuesday.
Australian Associated Press