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Australians' affinity with online gaming continues to grow during COVID-19.

Gamers spent more than 14 hours per week on average engaged in the pastime. That's according to new data compiled by Accenture and commissioned by NBN Co from among its customers.

For one-in-seven users, gaming was one of their most important online activities, and one-in-10 say it is the most important.

Researchers also found gaming isn't just a source of entertainment - it also helps connect people.

Additional data from the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association shows 43 per cent of Australian parents play online games with their children.

Twenty-five per cent of adult gamers also play with their partners online and more than a quarter share videos of their gameplay online.

Scott Beck, who has been an avid gamer since his youth, said it's a passion he enjoys with his four sons. And the interest has spread to his wife, who recently took up the role of 'controller' in the family's Hobart household.

To serve their gaming needs, the Becks have four gaming PCs, along with consoles and virtual reality equipment.

NBN customers told Accenture they expected to increase their gaming time by up to 50 per cent per year through to 2028.

Three in four were reliant on NBN during COVID-19 to access forms of entertainment or relaxation while about 14 per cent who upgraded their plan during the pandemic did so to support online gaming.

COVID led many NBN users to spend an extra hour a week using online entertainment, including gaming.

The number of NBN users streaming music rose 12 per cent to about 11 hours per week and weekly social media usage was up six per cent to an average of nine hours in the pandemic.

NBN forecasts overall time spent on online activities such as streaming virtual reality, video calls and online gaming will rise nearly 20 per cent by 2028.

"COVID-19 has accelerated the need for access to connectivity and this research highlights how the network is becoming more embedded in our everyday lives," NBN's Brad Whitcomb said.

"We're pleased our customers have expressed that they see additional lifestyle value in the NBN-powered plans they are purchasing from phone and internet providers."

Data from the consumer watchdog, the ACCC, shows NBN powers 89 per cent of Australian home broadband plans and carries 88 per cent of downloads.

Accenture surveyed 2420 users in March 2021 to compile the results.

© AAP 2021

Wallabies star Toutai Kefu is still having "outbursts of crying" as he and his family recover from being stabbed multiple times with machetes and an axe during a home invasion in Brisbane.

The 47-year-old suffered critical wounds to his abdomen while trying to defend his family in their Coorparoo home in the early hours of Monday morning.

His wife Rachel will be in hospital for another two weeks and may never have full use of one of her arms again, while his son Josh and daughter Maddi were also stabbed in the attack.

The four teenage boys, aged between 13 and 15, have been charged with 44 offences including attempted murder and grievous bodily harm.

Kefu, a former Australia rugby international, spoke publicly for the first time on Friday.

"I'm taking it day-by-day," he told reporters outside his home.

"At times you just, you know, there's outbursts of crying."

Kefu said the nightmare began when his wife woke up after hearing a rustle, which she mistook for a possum, on Monday night.

When she went downstairs to investigate she came upon three teens and screamed out, waking up her husband.

Kefu said when he saw how young they were he was initially shocked.

But then the situation took a dark turn when the intruders allegedly started attacking him and his wife with a machete and an axe.

Kefu's son Josh, 21, was woken by the commotion and took on the attackers.

"He absolutely went into beast mode, you know, I had the two intruders on me and he just jumped in with no fear, and he copped a couple of hacks to his back," he said.

"It could have been certainly a different outcome if he didn't turn up, he had no thought for his own safety."

Kefu's 18-year-old daughter Maddi was also stabbed before one of the intruders ran outside and got into a car, which drove off.

While the second intruder was waiting for the car to come back Kefu's neighbour Ben Cannon, a local real estate agent and cousin of Toutai's former Wallabies teammate Brendan Cannon, arrived.

He tackled the teenager and pinned him down until police arrived.

"If he didn't turn up it could have been a different story," he said.

"He's an absolute hero, incredibly heroic."

Police arrived not long after and Kefu, his wife, son and daughter were rushed to hospital.

He said his wife Rachel will remain in hospital for another two weeks and may never get 100 per cent use of her badly injured arm.

"The doctor said to her if the blade was sharper it could have cut her whole arm off, of bone actually stopped the blade," he said.

"So it was really graphic, and she's just a trooper, old Rach.

"She's the biggest one that's struggling. Yeah, it'll be a slow process, we'll take each day as it comes, you know, every time I talk about my family I get emotional. "

Kefu thanked the doctors, police, the public and the rugby union community for their support over the past week.

"The outpouring of love in the world, from everyone, it's been unbelievable," he said.

"I'd just like to thank everyone for keeping us in their thoughts during that time.

"As a family we're very, very grateful and thankful to have that kind of support, so we really appreciate it"

© AAP 2021

Australia has smashed daily records for new local coronavirus cases and vaccine doses administered.

The vast majority of Thursday's 754 new infections were detected in NSW, which had 681 cases of local transmission.

There were 57 cases in Melbourne and 16 in Canberra, with the combined tally of 754, eclipsing the record set last year during Victoria's deadly second wave.

While the Delta strain circulating across three states and territories is more contagious than previous variants, vaccines are another key difference in this year's fight against the pandemic.

A whopping 309,010 jabs were administered in the past 24 hours, which was another record day.

More than half of the nation's population aged 16 and above has received at least one dose, while 28.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was a major turning point in the rollout, which has been plagued by slow progress.

"Australia is really getting on top of this on the vaccination program," he told reporters in Canberra.

"Today, a big corner turned because one in two Australians who are eligible to have the vaccine have had it."

Eligibility will be extended to everyone aged 16 to 39 from the end of the month, with about 8.6 million people in that group.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Australia had reached 50 per cent for first doses on the same day it was announced Americans would start receiving third booster jabs from next month.

"We are way behind," he told 3AW radio.

"The problem we have is that Scott Morrison said it wasn't a race and it was a race. Other countries have got ahead of us."

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said every state would need to confront living with the virus when double-dose vaccination coverage reaches 80 per cent.

She expects that benchmark will be reached in about three months.

"By mid-November the conversation has to be around not so much the number of cases we have, but how many people we are keeping out of hospital," Ms Berejiklian said.

Federal, state and territory governments support vaccine coverage targets of 70 and 80 per cent to reduce the likelihood of lockdowns and reopen Australia.

While New Zealand has approved vaccinating all 12 to 15-year-olds, Australia's expert immunisation panel ATAGI is yet to make a decision.

There has been rising Delta cases among children and younger people who have been the least urgent priority of the rollout.

The prime minister says he expects a decision soon with plans being readied to expand the rollout to children.

"I am keen to see that occur this year. I think it is important it happens this year," Mr Morrison said.

Meanwhile, AstraZeneca announced the brand name Vaxzevria has been registered in Australia for its vaccine, bringing it into line with other countries.

"Use of the Vaxzevria brand name should help simplify international travel for people vaccinated with AstraZeneca's vaccine," the company said in a statement.

Melbourne marked its 200th day in lockdown with a spike in cases, however 54 were linked to existing outbreaks and 44 were isolating while infectious.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the latter figure was exactly what health authorities wanted to see.

A three-day lockdown in Darwin ended at midday after no new cases were linked to an infected US defence contractor.

However, the town of Katherine will remain in lockdown for a further 24 hours.

© AAP 2021