CANBERRA (REUTERS, BLOOMBERG) - Australia's pharmaceutical regulator has granted provisional approval to Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday (Aug 9).

       Australia in May agreed to buy 25 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, and Mr Morrison said the first one million doses will arrive in September.

       Australia's most populous state of New South Wales expanded its Covid-19 lockdown to the rural town of Tamworth on Monday due to concerns the virus may have spread from Sydney into the countryside.

       The state has struggled to contain a surge of the highly infectious Delta variant despite a lockdown of Sydney now in its seventh week. Neighbouring Victoria state said it would ease restrictions after reporting 11 new Covid-19 cases, the same as the previous day.

       In Brisbane, capital of Queensland state, authorities reported four new local cases on Monday, the first day after the city came out of stay-home restrictions. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is under fire for the sluggish vaccine rollout, with only 22 per cent of Australians above 16 years of age fully vaccinated.

       More on this topic

       Related Story

       Australia suffers worst Covid-19 day this year with millions in lockdown

       Related Story

       Australia's 'Covid zero' days may be numbered

       Related Stories:

       Related Story

       Dine-in to resume, more can work from office: All about S'pore's 2-step easing of Covid-19 rules

       Related Story

       Unvaccinated people twice as likely to be reinfected with Covid-19, study shows

       Related Story

       China must relook approach for zero Covid-19 cases as Delta variant spreads

       Related Story

       Covid-19: Mixed messaging hampering US fight against Delta variant

       Related Story

       Japan debates hospitalising only the sickest Covid-19 patients as cases hit record

       Related Story

       Malaysian family gets Covid-19 after visiting clinic, cites lax controls

       Related Story

       Australia's 'Covid zero' days may be numbered

       Related Story

       Once largely Covid-19 free, Asian economies are now upended by Delta variant

       Related Story

       Flawed scientific papers fuelling Covid-19 misinformation

       Related Story

       Five pandemic truths that defy intuition

       Join ST's Telegram channel here and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

       Topics:

       More Whatsapp Linkedin FB Messenger Telegram Reddit WeChat Pinterest Print Copy permalink https://str.sg/3wcH