LATEST COVID-19 DEVELOPMENTS:
* NSW recorded 1259 new local COVID-19 cases and 12 deaths, as the state crossed the 80 per cent first-dose vaccination threshold.
* Curfews in western and southwest Sydney will be lifted, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced.
* NSW businesses want clarity and guidance over vaccine and isolation rules when the state exits lockdown, an economic summit heard.
* Victoria recorded 423 new cases and two deaths.
* Victoria's top doctor warned the state's outbreak had not reached its peak, and there is a real risk daily infections will hit 1000.
* Ballarat was sent into a seven-day lockdown after four infections were linked to the regional city.
* Another regional Victorian town, Shepparton, was released from lockdown.
* Victoria's ombudsman will investigate the health department's handling of border exemptions after more than 80 stranded Victorians complained.
* Victoria's horse racing industry made COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory for staff and participants, including jockeys and trainers.
* Queensland will expand its vaccine rollout as more Pfizer supplies arrive, with the state's vaccine coverage the lowest in the nation.
* The ACT will start opening up gradually from between mid-October and early November in line with national vaccination thresholds of 70 and 80 per cent, although it may reach those targets earlier, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said.
* The NT will begin a 50-day "race to freedom" as it aims to reach 80 per cent vaccination coverage and trigger steps to reopening, Chief Minister Michael Gunner said.
* South Australia has expanded its COVID-19 home quarantine trial to selected Australians returning from overseas.
* The medicines regulator accused United Australia Party leader Craig Kelly of breaching copyright and demanded he cease spamming people about adverse vaccine reactions.
* Singapore Airlines blamed a lack of clarity from the Australian government about international travel for its decision to scrap dozens of pre-Christmas flights.
* New figures from Monash University showed just two per cent of coronavirus patients admitted to intensive care since Australia's vaccine rollout started were fully vaccinated.
* A whopping 86 per cent of people needing intensive care treatment had not received a single dose.
AUSTRALIAN VACCINATION NUMBERS:
* There have been 23,362,740 doses administered in the national COVID-19 vaccination rollout up to Saturday, including 283,991 in the previous 24 hours.
* Of the total, 13,448,048 have been administered by the Commonwealth (an increase of 171,263 in the previous 24 hours).
* 9,914,782 have been administered by the states and territories, including 112,728 in the previous 24 hours.
* Nationwide, 69.1 per cent of people aged over 16 have received one vaccine dose while 43.9 per cent are fully vaccinated.
AUSTRALIAN CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS:
* Australia has reported 1696 local cases: 1260 in NSW, 423 in Victoria and 13 in the ACT.
* Two overseas-acquired cases were reported, one in NSW and one in Queensland.
* The national death toll is 1116: Victoria 828, NSW 254, 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 225,823,000.
* Deaths: at least 4,6349,000.
* Vaccine doses administered: at least 5,751,0008,000.
Data current as at 1700 AEST on September 15, taking in federal and state/territory government updates and Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre figures.
Australian Associated Press
