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Scott Morrison has warned ongoing lockdowns will cause more harm than benefit when coronavirus vaccination coverages reaches 70 per cent.

The prime minister insists high case numbers will not derail a national plan despite some states warning Doherty Institute modelling needs updating.

Under the agreement, lockdowns will be less likely at 70 per cent and become highly targeted at 80 per cent.

Mr Morrison said negative economic and mental health impacts would outweigh benefits when 70 and 80 per cent immunisation coverage is reached.

"That's the advice, that's the basis for the plan. We've all signed up to it, we need to get on with it," he told the Seven Network.

WA Premier Mark McGowan wants new modelling given high levels of virus circulating in NSW which reported 753 new local cases on Tuesday.

Victoria is having a hard time getting on top of an outbreak with another 50 new cases, while the ACT had its worst daily rise since the start of the pandemic with 30 new infections.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk argues the initial research was based on having 30 cases in the community.

The Doherty Institute will provide updated advice to national cabinet on Friday.

In a statement, the Doherty Institute said opening up at hundreds of cases nationally a day would be possible at 70 per cent vaccination coverage.

"However, we will need vigilant public health interventions with higher case loads," it said.

The institute said hitting that vaccination rate would make it easier to live with the virus, similar to the flu.

"However, it won't be possible to maintain a situation where there are no cases at all."

Labor leader Anthony Albanese accused the prime minister of pretending the report ruled out lockdowns at 70 per cent coverage.

"Mr Morrison is a barrier to the end of the tunnel, not the light. He's the gaslight on the hill," Mr Albanese told Labor MPs and senators in Canberra.

He said Mr Morrison desperately wanted to argue he was pro-freedom while casting everyone else as being against reopening.

The prime minister insists the opposition leader is undermining the plan and hoping the government fails for political gain.

Mr Morrison remains optimistic the Queensland government won't keep its border shut with NSW if high case numbers continue.

"It doesn't matter whether it's 30 cases or 800 cases, the conclusions are the same and that's what the Doherty Institute said last night," he told the Nine Network.

He dismissed the federal-state bickering as a "bit of noise" with the vaccination targets still months away from being reached.

"We can't stay in the cave and we can get out of it safely."

The Doherty modelling recommends a staged reopening at 70 and 80 per cent with high-quality preventative measures remaining in place.

Australia has fully vaccinated 30.27 per cent of its population aged 16 and over and 52.78 have received one jab.

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NSW has recorded its third consecutive day of 800-plus new COVID-19 cases, but the state's health minister says life will be "pretty damn good" within months due to vaccinations.

The state recorded 818 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday, as well as three deaths.

All three deaths were in people in their 80s, with two from southwest Sydney and one from Newcastle. The death toll for the current COVID-19 outbreak is 74.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says a record 738,000 people were vaccinated in NSW last week, with 5.9 million jabs in arms to date.

Ms Berejiklian has previously flagged increased freedoms for fully vaccinated residents once NSW records six million vaccinations.

That total will likely be reached by the end of Monday.

She declined on Monday to discuss the types of restrictions which could be eased, saying announcements would be made by Friday.

However, this would not include an end to stay-at-home orders, which will remain in place until at least August 28 in regional NSW and at least September 30 in Sydney and surrounds.

But Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Monday told a parliamentary inquiry that life in NSW would be "pretty damn good" by November as vaccination coverage approaches 70 and 80 per cent.

Mr Hazzard also said he hoped to sign a public health order by week's end mandating vaccination for NSW healthcare workers.

More than three quarters of healthcare workers in NSW have had at least one vaccine dose, rising to 89 per cent in metropolitan areas.

But the health minister said he wanted to be "as collaborative and encouraging as possible" given union concerns.

Ms Berejiklian, meanwhile, also promised to soon clarify whether school students will be able to return to classrooms in term four.

"It is important for us to minimise any risk when they go back to school ... our health experts in particular are working (on) how the HSC can be done," the premier told reporters.

"We have provided certainty for parents in terms of September ... unfortunately we've said current conditions remain in place."

There are 586 COVID-19 patients in NSW hospitals, with 100 people in intensive care and 32 on a ventilator.

NSW Health currently manages about 500 intensive care beds but has a surge capacity of about 2000, with a ventilator for each bed.

The three new deaths include a man in his 80s from southwest Sydney who died at Liverpool Hospital, a man in his 80s from Newcastle who died at John Hunter Hospital and a woman in her 80s from southwest Sydney who died at Campbelltown Hospital.

Ms Berejiklian also said it was "disheartening and disappointing" that 60 people gathered at an illegal church service in the hotspot area of Blacktown in Sydney's west on Sunday.

Police fined 30 adults $1000 each and the church $5000.

The Nigeria-based global leader of the Sydney church involved has falsely claimed vaccines alter people's DNA and control people.

Meanwhile, a night-time curfew has come into effect for people living in Sydney's 12 local government areas of concern.

A raft of new public health rules are also in place including the requirement for everyone in NSW to wear masks outside.

"Whatever vaccine you can get your hands on, please come forward and get vaccinated, that's our strong message," Ms Berejiklian said.

"This is what will get us out of our situation.

"I also acknowledge every state is going to have to go through this transition one way or another ... we can't live in isolation forever."

© AAP 2021

Scott Morrison has challenged premiers to stick to vaccine coverage targets tied to ending lockdowns regardless of coronavirus cases.

The prime minister fired another warning shot at state and territory governments on Monday as tensions rise over national cabinet's reopening agreement.

All governments have agreed to reduce lockdowns and open borders when immunisation rates reach 70 and 80 per cent.

Mr Morrison said the focus would shift to hospitalisation numbers rather than daily cases when the targets were hit.

"That is our goal - to live with this virus, not to live in fear of it," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.

But WA is not budging from its zero-case goal, while Queensland warns it may not reopen its NSW border even at the higher jab threshold.

Updated Doherty Institute modelling will be presented to a national cabinet meeting of the country's leaders on Friday.

Mr Morrison cited confidential updated advice to back his claim reopening targets could happen regardless of case numbers.

"The starting point does not influence the overall conclusions of the model," he told parliament.

He later said the advice was oral after rejecting Mr Albanese's request for him to table it in parliament.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the initial research was based on reopening with 30 cases in the community.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said new modelling was needed to look at higher cases when vaccine targets were reached.

He said he was not arguing for major lockdowns but reserving the right to use targeted measures to combat outbreaks.

"Just because the NSW government has made a mess of it doesn't mean the rest of us should suffer," Mr McGowan said.

Coronavirus continues to surge in NSW with another 818 new local cases and three deaths reported on Monday.

In Victoria, there were 71 new infections, while the ACT recorded 16.

Australia has fully vaccinated 30 per cent of its population aged 16 and above, while 52.8 per cent have had one jab.

Mr Morrison said heavy restrictions, which are affecting more than half of Australia's population across Victoria, NSW and the ACT, could not continue indefinitely.

"Otherwise, we stay in the cave forever. That's not a sustainable solution," he said.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who has abandoned trying to eliminate the virus, backed the prime minister's view of the future.

"Just as we tend to talk about the number of people that die from flu, when we have 80 per cent double dose vaccination that's how we'll treat it," he said.

Labor's health spokesman Mark Butler said Mr Morrison previously stated lower case numbers when reopening was better economically.

"Scott Morrison has got to stop changing the rules and the goalposts if he wants to have a mature discussion with state premiers and agree on a national plan," he told reporters.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr described the federal-state dispute as "alpha male muscling up".

© AAP 2021