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Thanks a million: Pfizer doses arrive as Poland comes to our rescue

One million doses of Pfizer have landed in Australia, with half destined for NSW as its coronavirus outbreak spirals.

Aug 16, 2021, updated Aug 16, 2021
A million dose of the Pfizer vaccine have arrived in Australia from Poland. (Photo: AAP)

A million dose of the Pfizer vaccine have arrived in Australia from Poland. (Photo: AAP)

Those doses will be stuck in the arms of people aged 20 to 39 across a dozen of that state’s worst-hit local government areas.

The remainder will be spread across the rest of the country.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday confirmed the doses arrived in Australia overnight from Pfizer’s Belgium factory.

Poland is reselling the doses it had ordered on a non-profit basis.

“There was an opportunity and we seized it,” Morrison told Seven.

“When I was able to say that Sydney was in lockdown, we got great support.”

All of NSW is in lockdown, with the state recording another 415 cases and a further four deaths on Sunday.

Rapid testing will be rolled out to NSW aged care centres, starting at Bankstown on Monday.

Victoria will get 175,500 of the extra Pfizer vaccines as its lockdown is likely to be extended again.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews warned people should not delay being vaccinated with AstraZeneca to wait for the additional Pfizer jabs.

Meanwhile, 17,550 doses are headed for Tasmania and 14,000 for the ACT.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr noted this was equivalent to one week’s worth of doses across territory-run vaccine clinics.

Canberra on Sunday reported two more COVID-19 cases, taking its total to nine during its long lockdown scheduled to end on Thursday.

Victoria has recorded 22 new locally acquired coronavirus cases as police probe an alleged Melbourne engagement party that may have been attended by an infected person.

The health department on Monday confirmed 17 of the new cases are linked to known outbreaks and 14 were in quarantine during their infectious period.

It means five of the new infections are mystery cases.

Some 29,986 tests were processed in the 24 hours to Monday morning, while 19,880 Victorians were vaccinated at state-run hubs.

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