LATEST COVID-19 DEVELOPMENTS:
* Life will return to almost completely normal in NSW for both the COVID-19 vaccinated and unvaccinated in December as part of the government's roadmap to ending restrictions.
* However the unvaccinated will have almost no freedoms until this time - while the fully jabbed will be busy living near-normal lives.
* NSW reported 787 new local cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday, as the government revealed its plan for 80 per cent double-dose vaccination coverage and beyond.
* Regional travel won't be allowed in NSW until the state reaches the 80 per cent double vaccination milestone for people over 16.
* The ACT has outlined its path out of COVID restrictions, with Canberra's lockdown set to end on October 15.
* The ACT recorded its first death from COVID-19 during the current outbreak - a man in his 90s who was in palliative care at an aged care facility in Canberra's north before catching the virus.
* General practitioners and community pharmacies in Melbourne suburbs hardest hit by COVID-19 will be able to apply for grants of up to $10,000 to speed up the vaccination rollout.
* Melbourne's lockdown will remain in place until 70 per cent of Victorians aged over 16 are double-vaccinated, which is forecast for October 26. A more significant easing of restrictions will occur when the 80 per cent double-dose target is met, forecast for November 5.
* The number of active cases in Victoria is now 8538, including 363 people in hospital and 75 in intensive care, of whom 56 are on a ventilator.
* Queensland's chief health officer says people should "prepare and hope" for the state's borders to reopen in time for Christmas.
* Twenty-one crew are quarantining aboard a cargo vessel in northern Tasmania after being identified as primary contacts of a Victorian dock worker who tested positive to COVID-19.
* Legal groups have come out swinging against a federal bid to make national cabinet exempt from freedom of information laws.
AUSTRALIAN VACCINATION NUMBERS:
* There have been 26,806,343 doses administered in the national COVID-19 vaccination rollout up to Sunday, including 145,382 in the previous 24 hours.
* Of the total, 15,385,791 have been administered by the Commonwealth (an increase of 59,149 in the previous 24 hours).
* 11,420,552 have been administered by the states and territories, including 86,233 in the previous 24 hours.
* Nationwide, 76.1 per cent of people aged over 16 have received one vaccine dose while 51.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.
AUSTRALIAN CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS:
* Australia reported 1765 local cases on Monday: 961 in NSW, 779 in Victoria and 25 in the ACT.
* Three overseas-acquired cases were reported in NSW.
* The national death toll is 1245: NSW 365, Victoria 841, Tasmania 13, WA 9, Queensland 7, SA 4, ACT 3. (Two Queensland residents who died in NSW have been included in the official tolls of both states).
GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS:
* Cases: at least 231,848,981.
* Deaths: at least 4,748,355.
* Vaccine doses administered: at least 6,089,735,469.
Data current as at 1730 AEST on September 17, taking in federal and state/territory government updates and Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre figures.
Australian Associated Press
