There were 112 new locally acquired cases recorded in NSW as it was decided to make the AstraZeneca vaccine available to over 40s in the state.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian spoke of “outstanding conversations with the NSW Pharmacy Guild” which have resulted in the decision to make the AstraZeneca vaccine available to lower ages, however warned people to “consider your own risk”.

With new procedures in place, under 40s will soon be able to access AstraZeneca at vaccination hubs without advice from their GP.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant urged anyone who had received their first dose of AstraZeneca within the past four weeks to call their GP to see if their second dose could be administered between six and eight weeks.

“Clearly, having the vaccine within the six to eight weeks trades off the duration of protection that that vaccine might provide you, but we know that into the future, we will be providing booster doses of various vaccines and what we want to do is protect you,” she said.

Stricter face mask rules and travel restrictions will come into effect from Tuesday. Residents will be required to wear masks in more places, and everyone outside Sydney will be banned from coming in.

The updated restrictions in Greater Sydney, Blue mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour are as follows:

  • Outdoor public gatherings are limited to two people
  • People must exercise within 10km of their home
  • No carpooling with members of other households
  • Browsing at shops is prohibited and only one person per household per day may leave the home for shopping
  • Funerals are limited to 10 people

READ MORE: Australia’s negotiations with Pfizer’s Chief Executive Albert Bourla via former PM Kevin Rudd

There are growing calls to ramp up restrictions in NSW similar to the stage four lockdown which was imposed in Melbourne for 112 days a year ago.

Epidemiologist Tony Blakely is among those seekng additional restrictions in Sydney, stating that partial restrictions are not tough enough.

“If they keep going the way they are now, without really stepping it up now it could go on for months,” he said.

An alarming 48 of the 112 cases were not linked to known clusters.

Victoria on high alert

Victoria’s Health Minister Martin Foley said Victorian health authorities were alerted to the case of a Sydney removalist visiting multiple homes and travelling through the state while infectious.

“This person is a removalist … and they visited households in Victoria as a part of their work,” Mr Foley said during Monday’s COVID update. “We would expect there will be exposure sites and we expect there will be people who require to quarantine.”

Victoria recorded no new cases of COVID-19 on Monday for the 12th consecutive day, however there is concern over the infectious removalist’s journey which will be examined and release later on Monday.

Kevin Rudd’s input

Government officials have been critical of reports of a leaked letter from former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, regarding mr Rudd’s discussions with Greek AstraZeneca Chief Executive Albert Boura.

In the letter, dated 30 June, Mr Rudd said he had spoken to Dr Boura to ask him “whether there was any possible way, given Pfizer’s current international contractual obligations, to advance the dispatch of significant quantities of the Pfizer vaccine to Australia as early as the third quarter this year”.

“In response to my representations, Dr Bourla said he would personally look at ‘what further might be able to be done’,” Mr Rudd wrote in a letter obtained by the ABC.

READ MORE: Seven COVID-free days for Victoria, but concerns as lockdown may be extended in NSW

Defence Minister Peter Dutton told 4BC radio on Monday, “I suspect it wouldn’t take our greatest detective within the Queensland police Service to identify who leaked the self-serving letter.”

A deal was announced to deliver Pfizer doses to Australia sooner than expected, eight days after the letter was written. “Kevin claims credit for many things,” Mr Dutton said. “It used to drive his Labor colleagues crazy.”

Greece’s Health Minister Greg Hunt also disputed as to whether Mr Rudd’s discussions had impact on schedules.