Queensland has hit 80 per cent fully vaccinated becoming one of the first jurisdictions in the world to hit the milestone without an active COVID-19 outbreak.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed on Thursday that both Queensland and the Northern Territory reached the 80 per cent milestone on Wednesday.
“Well done to Queensland and the NT! Confirming you’ve officially hit 80% double dose vaccination, the target in our National Plan,” he tweeted on Thursday morning.
“Thank you to everyone who got their jab.
“Please get your booster if you’re due and help Australia continue to safely reopen and stay safely open.”
Queensland hit the milestone five days before it reopens its borders to fully vaccinated travellers from domestic virus hotspots who test negative.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said reaching 80 per cent without an active COVID-19 outbreak was a great achievement.
“Very few places in the world have got to this level of protection BEFORE a COVID wave arrives,” she told AAP in a statement.
“The credit for this belongs to each and every Queenslander.
“But we can’t stop here: let’s get to 90 per cent and beyond. Please, get vaccinated.”
When asked if he was disappointed the prime minister tweeted the news before telling the state, Deputy Premier Steven Miles said he understood why Mr Morrison wanted to “claim credit”.
“The credit belongs to all of the Queenslanders who went and got vaccinated, and of course their health workers who rolled out the vaccination program,” Mr Miles told reporters.
“I guess in some ways that tweet giving us the data sooner than we would otherwise get it, it’s kind of the first thing Scott Morrison’s done to help.”
Ahead of Monday’s easing concern remains about low vaccination rates for Queenslanders under the age of 40, and certain regions.
Mr Miles said the Gold Coast, on the border with NSW, was only 76.5 per cent fully vaccinated.
“We really need to see more Gold Coasters come forward and get both of their vaccinations,” the deputy premier said.
He also said he was confident hospitals and intensive care units would be ready for a rise in virus cases after the borders open.
On the same day Queensland hit its 80 per cent target it also recorded its first case of the Omicron variant in hotel quarantine.
The World Health Organisation confirmed another traveller in Queensland quarantine was the world’s first case of a new lineage of that variant called Omicron-like.
Omicron has about 30 different gene changes, while the new lineage has about 14.
Queensland recorded no new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday.
“It’s a double doughnut day: no cases of COVID in the community or in quarantine,” Mr Miles said.
“And while of course that’s worth celebrating … It might be one of our last.”
By Marty Silk in Brisbane
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