No new local COVID-19 cases in VIC; Two more residents at Sydney aged care home test positive; New Zealand travel resumes for some Aussies; Pfizer jab now offered by GPs in next phase of vaccine rollout

Face masks will stick around long after Australia opens up to the world, a leading epidemiologist says.

Speaking to Today, Professor Tony Blakely said vaccinations are only part of Australia’s pathway out of the pandemic.

The comments come after Prime Minster Scott Morrison outlined a four-point plan to open Australia’s borders on Friday.

While no date was set on any of the four phases, Mr Morrison said Australia is currently in the first phase of the national plan: “vaccinate, prepare and pilot”.

While vaccines are an important defence, Professor Blakely said “vaccination alone is not enough”.

“The vaccine doesn’t make you completely immune to getting the disease but it shifts the distribution of severity a lot,” he said.

“We will need to keep our contact tracing on, and masks on in public transport and high-risk environments.

“When we don’t have any COVID circulating we may say, ‘throw your mask away’ but as soon as there is an inkling of the COVID being back you would put the mask back on”.