Australia's COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to surge, with another record day of doses yesterday.
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NSW clicked over the 70 per cent double dose mark for those aged 16 and over, meaning it will move to start re-opening as planned on Monday, October 11.
Almost 95 per cent of Canberrans have received at least one jab, while 68.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.
However, Western Australia and Queensland are languishing below 50 per cent double-dose coverage.
NSW's path to re-opening
Today we expect to hear the outcome of of last night's NSW crisis cabinet meeting.
The Premier had flagged there could be "small changes" to the state's roadmap out of lockdown made during the meeting.
However, Dominic Perrottet ruled out bringing forward the opening day, it would remain as Monday, October 11.
Yesterday, he announced that crisis cabinet would be renamed to the COVID and Economic Recovery Committee and the 11am daily COVID press conferences would be canned, instead the COVID numbers would be released daily at 9am from next week.
As NSW moves to that re-opening there have also been calls for clarity on rules for businesses.
NSW Labor says it is fielding questions from businesses that are still confused about their responsibilities.
Indigenous Australian health gap narrows
The health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is narrowing as fewer Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are losing years of their lives to premature death or illness.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on Thursday released a report based on statistics from 2018, which found that while Indigenous Australians continue to experience higher rates of "disease burden", the gap is narrowing.
"Disease burden" measures an illness or injury's impact in terms of the number of years of healthy life lost through living with the ailment.
Overall, Indigenous Australians experience 2.3 times more disease burden than non-Indigenous.
Everything you need to know about the COVID treatment pill
A new capsule-based drug is showing promise in the treatment of COVID-19 as the nation continues to grapple with ways to keep severely sick patients out of hospital.
The molnupiravir pill - or 'molnu' as it's being shortened - has been developed by the American pharmaceutical company Merck, and is being touted as a simple, effective way to treat the respiratory disease from home.
Nobel in chemistry goes to molecule makers
German Benjamin List and Scottish-born David MacMillan have won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing new tools for building molecules that have helped make new drugs and are more environmentally friendly.
The chemistry award is the third of this year's crop of Nobel prizes and follows the prizes for medicine or physiology, and physics, announced earlier this week.
Kylie Minogue is moving back to Australia
Kylie Minogue says she "can't believe" the public reaction to the news she will be moving from the UK to Australia.
The singer is moving back to the country of her birth after 30 years of living in the UK.
She told BBC Radio 2's The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show she will "always" be coming back to the UK after she moves.
- with Australian Associated Press