National Cabinet has agreed on a four-step plan to see Australia out the other side of the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the announcement today at his first in-person press conference since returning from the UK and quarantining in Canberra.
"This is a difficult time when people are dealing with restrictions, but that has been our experience over these past 18 months as our country has battled COVID-19, like every country has," Mr Morrison said.
EXPLAINED: How the Prime Minister's 'four-phase' road back to normal will work
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"Every country has had their share of success and also of failures over this period of time. COVID-19, managing your way through COVID-19, is uncharted waters."
He said National Cabinet agreed on a plan with four phases to transition Australia's national COVID-19 response to post-vaccination settings.
The prime minister said Australia is currently in the first phase of the national plan: "Vaccinate, prepare and pilot".
"We continue to suppress the virus. That involves the implementation of the national vaccination plan to offer every Australian an opportunity to be vaccinated with the necessary doses of the relevant vaccine as soon as possible," he said.
The second phase will focus on seeking to "minimise serious illness, hospitalisation and fatality as a result of COVID-19", the prime minister said.
The third phase is called "consolidation" and will aim to treat coronavirus like any other infectious disease such as the flu.
The fourth and final stage will be "life as normal". Travel caps will be lifted for vaccinated people, international arrivals allowed in and bubbles with other countries expanded.
READ MORE: International passenger arrivals to be reduced by 50 per cent
International arrivals slashed, lockdowns 'last resort'
Australia has hit eight million vaccine doses administered, with additional vaccine supplies expected over the course of this year.
There are plans to temporarily reduce commercial inbound passenger international arrivals by 50 per cent to ease the pressure on quarantine facilities due to the increased risks of the Delta strain of the virus.
"While the reduction of those caps will certainly, right across the system, obviously take some pressure off, as we have observed over the course of these past 18 months, that alone does not provide any fail-safe regarding any potential breaches," Mr Morrison warned.
"We have seen breaches occur, predominantly as a result of infection control procedures and human error and so on, those issues need to continue to be strengthened."
READ MORE: Lockdowns only to be used in 'extreme circumstances' under 'post-vaccination' phase
The Commonwealth will facilitate international repatriation flights during the period of reduced caps and they will be channelled into Darwin for quarantine at Howard Springs.
"Where we will lose some capacity for inbound flights of those coming back through commercial flights, the Commonwealth will directly seek to mitigate that by upping, wherever possible, those commercially facilitated flights that the Commonwealth is pursuing," Mr Morrison said.
The prime minister said reducing the caps of commercial flights would "come at a cost" to the Federal Government.
"This is not a costless exercise. Medicines, vaccines come in by plane. Essential freight comes in by plane," he said.
"The Commonwealth's decision to support this reduction in those commercial caps comes at a fiscal cost to Commonwealth taxpayers, but we agree that it is an important part of managing this most virulent during the course of this suppression phase."
National Cabinet also agreed lockdowns in the current phase of the four-component plan would only be used as a last resort.
Alternative quarantine options explored
Australia will trial and pilot with individual jurisdictions the introduction of alternative quarantine options, including home quarantine for vaccinated travellers.
"The work that we have already done and Professor Kelly may want to add to this, shows that a vaccinated person doing quarantine for seven days is stronger than an unvaccinated person doing quarantine for 14 days," Mr Morrison said.
READ MORE: Home quarantine will be trialled for vaccinated travellers
"There is clear medical evidence to suggest that vaccination means that shorter periods of quarantine is possible without any compromise of the health and safety standards that is currently delivered by a 14-day quarantine for unvaccinated persons."
You can find out more details about how to book your vaccine through the Federal Government health site here.
