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While NSW posted the highest number of new daily COVID-19 cases recorded by any Australian jurisdiction on Saturday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian wants people to focus on a different statistic.

"The more important figure going up is the vaccination rate," she told reporters as NSW reported 825 new locally acquired cases and three deaths.

"The vaccination rate is where we can look forward to living life freely."

However a professor who helped develop the modelling that underpins Australia's path out of the pandemic says the reverse could be true.

University of Melbourne professor of mathematical biology James McCaw has warned that if NSW case numbers don't come down it could actually mean "stronger versions of lockdowns rather than weaker".

Prof McCaw contributed to Doherty Institute modelling suggesting that once 70 per cent of Australians aged 16 and older are vaccinated, and later 80 per cent, stringent lockdowns would unlikely be required.

He says the modelling works on a series of assumptions that don't apply to the current situation in NSW, including outbreaks that begin in the 10s of cases, not hundreds, and ongoing low-level social restrictions.

The modelling also assumes there will be "optimal" testing and tracing, along with very efficient isolation and quarantine systems to keep cases under control.

"At high caseloads the public health units are under a lot of stress and obviously those things are not working optimally," Prof McCaw has told Guardian Australia.

"They are just not as effective (and so) obviously it's harder to control the spread of the virus, so something else has to help and what that other thing is, is stronger social measures and stronger versions of lockdowns rather than weaker."

He said NSW must drive case numbers down and questioned the relevance of the modelling if that didn't occur.

"There is a very, very clear and coherent relationship between the targets Doherty puts forward and the response required by NSW to help us get there."

NSW delivered a near record 127,000 vaccinations on Saturday and 57.6 per cent of residents aged 16 and over have had one jab, and 30.8 per are fully vaccinated.

Nationally the figures are 51.8 per cent, and 29.6 per cent respectively.

The outbreak in Victoria is also spiralling with 61 new cases recorded on Saturday and regional areas joining Greater Melbourne in lockdown.

Almost 50.43 per cent of eligible Victorians have now had one vaccine dose and 29.37 per cent two.

"Our long-term strategy to be open, to be growing, to be employing, to be in a very different world, is for 80 per cent of people to be through that vaccination program," Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said.

"You can act on that right now, right now."

The ACT recorded eight new locally acquired cases on Saturday with the outbreak in the territory hitting 102 cases.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr says with vaccination clinics booked out until October, a new mass hub will open at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Queensland recorded no new locally acquired cases but remains restless over the NSW outbreak. Only exempt essential workers who've had at least one shot of vaccine are allowed to cross the border.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young urged people to get the jab with 45.88 per cent of those eligible having had one dose and 27.4 per cent having two.

She said once the 80 per cent target is hit, Queensland will "probably" reopen to NSW and the rest of Australia regardless of any outbreaks.

At that point the state will no longer pursue COVID-19 eradication either, she said.

Federal Employment Minister Stuart Robert has praised the pace of the vaccine rollout.

"In the last three days over 900,000 vaccinations have occurred ... 900,000. It is equivalent to 215 per minute, It is an extraordinary rate of achievement being built."

Anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police in Melbourne on Saturday while hundreds also gathered in Brisbane to make themselves heard.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison says it is highly unlikely that Australia will achieve zero coronavirus cases, but neither can it live with lockdowns forever.

NSW suffered another record day of new infections, announcing 830 cases and just pipping the previous day. There were also three new deaths - a woman in her 80s and two men in their 60s and 70s.

Regional NSW will remain in lockdown until August 28 and Greater Sydney until at least September 30.

But Mr Morrison insists people can't live with lockdowns indefinitely.

"At some point you need to make that gear change and that is done at 70 per cent (vaccinations) because that's where we are advised from the medical science that you can make that gear change," he told ABC's Insiders program on Sunday.

As of Saturday, just under 30 per cent of Australians aged over 16 had received two doses of the vaccine.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said 196,000 vaccinations were conducted on Saturday, which he said was extraordinary for a weekend.

He told reporters there were 1.1 million doses injected in four days.

"We're getting close to two million a week and it is close to what we are planning to do in the coming weeks," Professor Kelly said.

In the meantime, lockdowns need to be effective, Mr Morrison said.

"We need to suppress the virus as best we can, and we need for people to isolate, stay at home, get tested and of course, go and get vaccinated," he said.

Even so, Labor NSW senator Kristina Keneally said the people in her state and across Australia are paying the price for Mr Morrison's failures to provide sufficient vaccines doses and adequate quarantine facilities.

"Children are missing school, small businesses are closing, people in southwest Sydney in particular are distressed, locked down and highly uncertain about what their future holds," Senator Keneally told reporters in Canberra.

Meanwhile on Sunday, an epidemiology expert who helped model the national COVID-19 response plan said to would be very challenging to pursue zero cases in the future.

Doherty Institute director of epidemiology Jodie McVernon told Sky News' Sunday Agenda program it was important to understand what we are dealing with.

"We have seen how contagious this virus is, we have seen how difficult it is to keep out and even jurisdictions that have had highly effective public health responses and contained outbreaks, it has been getting away," Professor McVernon said.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr does not believe zero cases are impossible for Canberra or even regional NSW.

"But I acknowledge that zero is incredibly challenging in Sydney when you have got the case numbers that they have had," Mr Barr told reporters in Canberra.

"It's a long journey back, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't strive to get the numbers down and as close to zero as possible."

The ACT announced another 19 cases on Sunday, over double the previous day which reflected a slight change in its reporting cut-off time.

Victoria's case numbers continue to grow, posting another 65 new infections, while Queensland enjoyed another day of zero cases.

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NSW may have recorded the highest number of new daily infections of the pandemic in any Australian jurisdiction but there's a more vital statistic, says premier Gladys Berejiklian.

"While case numbers are going up, the more important figure going up is the vaccination rate," she told reporters on Saturday.

"The vaccination rate is where we can look forward to living life freely."

State and territory leaders are racing to hit COVID-19 inoculation targets after national cabinet agreed to set second dose thresholds of 70 and 80 per cent to significantly reduce the prospect of lockdowns.

More than 1.7 million doses were administered during last week with a record 310,524 jabs delivered nationwide on Friday.

Some 29.6 per cent of Australians over 16 are now fully vaccinated, while 51.8 per cent have received a first jab.

NSW meanwhile recorded 825 locally acquired cases on Saturday along with three deaths.

When asked how anyone living under lockdown could have any hope, seeing those figures, Ms Berejiklian said people should focus on vaccination numbers.

The premier state has administered a first dose to 57.56 per cent of eligible people and a second to 30.81 per cent.

The outbreak in Victoria is also spiralling with 61 new cases recorded on Saturday and regional areas joining Greater Melbourne in lockdown.

Almost 50.43 per cent of eligible Victorians have now had one vaccine dose and 29.37 per cent two.

"Our long-term strategy to be open, to be growing, to be employing, to be in a very different world, is for 80 per cent of people to be through that vaccination program," Premier Daniel Andrews said.

"You can act on that right now, right now."

The ACT recorded eight new locally acquired cases on Saturday with the outbreak in the territory hitting 102 cases.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr says with vaccination clinics booked out until October, a new mass hub will open at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Queensland recorded no new locally acquired cases but remains restless over the NSW outbreak. Only exempt essential workers who've had at least one shot of vaccine are allowed to cross the border.

Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young urged people to get the jab with 45.88 per cent of those eligible having had one dose and 27.4 per cent having two.

She said once the 80 per cent target is hit, Queensland will "probably" reopen to NSW and the rest of Australia regardless of any outbreaks.

She said at that point the state will no longer pursue COVID-19 eradication either.

"Once we open up we won't have zero cases, of course we won't, we'll have a disease that we can manage," Dr Young said.

Federal Employment Minister Stuart Robert praised the pace of the vaccine rollout.

"In the last three days over 900,000 vaccinations have occurred ... 900,000," he said.

"It is equivalent to 215 per minute, It is an extraordinary rate of achievement being built."

Mr Robert said the Commonwealth was sharing individuals' vaccination data with states and territories but he didn't indicate there was any federal plan for a vaccine pass system.

"Whether that vaccination certification data is used will depend of course on state and territory public health orders and that's a matter for those states and territories," he added.

Labor's health spokesman Mark Butler said when the 70 per cent target is hit there should be a "reasonable debate" about vaccine passes.

He said Qantas and some arts festivals have already flagged that proof of vaccination will be required for staff and patrons, respectively.

Anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police in Melbourne on Saturday while hundreds also gathered in Brisbane to make themselves heard.

More than 1500 officers thwarted efforts to hold an unauthorised demonstration in central Sydney.

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