By now, many of us are keenly aware that the most exciting and talked-about part of the Super Bowl has nothing to do with football.

Each year, the world’s biggest artists take to the stage/field to deliver some of the most extravagant performances of their careers for the halftime show.

The Weeknd made history as the first Canadian to have the honour of performing for hundreds of millions of viewers.

But he did it controversially, performing for a live audience of more than 22,000 people in Tampa, Florida, despite the worsening coronavirus pandemic.

I’m thinking “Damn, The Weeknd gotta perform with no crowd” and it’s packed like a regular game pic.twitter.com/rLSB1NMllg

— Anthony Moore (@AllThatandMoore) February 7, 2021

Much of the performance took place on an elevated stage away from crowds, before The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, was joined by hundreds of lookalikes.

In one meme-orable moment, Tesfaye frantically tried to find his way out of a spooky, gold hall of mirrors while being pushed around by masked men.

Sporting an entirely black ensemble with a red blazer – a nod to his enormously successful After Hours album (that was surprisingly snubbed by the Grammys) – Tesfaye and his bandage-wearing backup dancers splashed out onto the field for a choreographed routine.

Me, looking for my phone when it was in my pants' pocket the entire time. #SuperBowl #TheWeeknd pic.twitter.com/gU7wWkYX7D

— Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) February 8, 2021

Though there were many eerie and unsettling elements, you wouldn’t be wrong for feeling a sense of deja vu.

First, there were the black and white Michael Jackson-inspired loafers paired with black gloves.

This isn’t the first time Tesfaye has worn Jackson comparisons, and fans have long commented on their similar voices and music style.

Then there were the heavily bandaged, faceless dancers who looked like they stepped straight off the set of Jordan Peele’s horror film Us.

Dancing against a backdrop of a stylised, neon cityscape, the pop singer belted out a medley of his most successful tracks, including Starboy, The Hills , Can’t Feel My Face and Spotify’s most-played song of 2020, Blinding Lights.

The Weeknd bringing some big US energy to the halftime show #SuperBowl #SBLV pic.twitter.com/yDYTJ2nrH9

— Ryan Scott (@RyanScottWrites) February 8, 2021

Between the nostalgic Jackson nods and the Peele-esque bandage masks, Tesfaye’s dedication to creating a carnival horror-house experience shone through.

In fact, Tesfaye was so dedicated to seeing his vision come to life that in addition to the millions contributed by the Super Bowl, he paid more than $US7 million ($A9.1 million) out of his own pocket.

• Related: The Grammys postponed due to Los Angeles coronavirus surge

The performance stands out as one of the weirder ones in halftime history, but Tesfaye is far from the first star to have a memorable Super Bowl show.

Two little Latin girls

Last year, latin pop powerhouses Jennifer Lopez and Shakira gave us all a lesson in exactly “what two little Latin girls can do”.

The pair took the stage by storm and delivered a memorable medley of their biggest hits.

“It’s a perfect moment in my life, honestly,” Lopez told Vanity Fair.

“But it’s also a great time for Latina women to take the stage at the biggest all-American event, with everything that’s going on in the country right now.”

And while the energetic performance was highly praised by the public, it was the fact that the women were in their 40s and 50s that dominated much of the fanfare.

Fans were dazzled by Lopez and Shakira’s ability to perform difficult and fast-paced choreography while singing.

Shakira at 43, JLo at 50, and me at 30: pic.twitter.com/MrrJzKiPtK

— TeacherGoals (@teachergoals) February 4, 2021

Queen Bey

Beyonce is one artist who knows how to work a crowd.

The RnB singer set the standard in her 2013 show by smashing through a number of her greatest hits.

She also gave her legions of adoring disciples something to fan-girl about when brought out her former Destiny’s Child alumni Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.

“There haven’t been that many women that have done Super Bowl halftime shows – I had to hold it down for the ladies,” she told CBS .

Immediately after her spectacular performance, the power went out, though officials at the time said the incidents weren’t related.

Beyonce was invited back to perform alongside Bruno Mars and Coldplay in 2016.

A Perfect Illusion

Lady Gaga’s 2017 halftime show demonstrated how fearless the pop singer really is.

In a moment that quickly went viral, Gaga leapt from the roof and into the stadium.

The singer then went on to wow fans with a mix of her most popular songs like Born This Way, Million Reasons and Just Dance.

Though the roof-dive was one of her most daring, it turns out it was a ‘perfect illusion’ and had actually been pre-recorded days earlier.

I still think about Lady GaGa jumping off the stadium roof at the Super Bowl sometimes and it just makes me laugh. One of those moments that just sticks in your head 😂 pic.twitter.com/4ej9J7gK0B

— New Year’s ResoluSean (@DistillaSean) February 4, 2021

Nipplegate

When it comes to the most talked-about Super Bowl acts, Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson’s accidental-but-maybe-on-purpose nip-slip steals the show.

Way back in 2004, long before #FreeTheNip was in the public vernacular, Timberlake and Jackson found themselves at the centre of a media storm when he ‘accidentally’ pulled off part of Jackson’s outfit exposing her right nipple.

More than 140 million viewers caught the incident, which also birthed the term ‘wardrobe malfunction’.

Timberlake apologised following the scandal, and was invited back to perform in 2018, but Jackson was reportedly blacklisted.

Do you remember this moment? 17 years ago today – Justin Timberlake & Janet Jackson played the Super Bowl! This is the performance that introduced the world to the term, "wardrobe malfunction." Where were you? #BBiTM @KellyOnBBiTM pic.twitter.com/Lcdu9R5YmF

— Brandon Baxter (In The Morning) (@BrandonOnBBiTM) February 1, 2021

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It’s pretty standard for kids to get a lollipop to ease the sting of their injections – but Russia is going one step further.

Although it is one of the few places with a surplus of the coronavirus vaccine, thanks to its Sputnik V version, the country is struggling to get its citizens to line up for the injections.

One vaccination centre in Moscow decided logic and science weren’t doing the trick. But flat-out bribery might.

They’re tempting Moscovites with ice cream, in exchange for their bare biceps.

Tweet from @Quicktake

“It makes it a very nice bonus after getting the vaccination,” vaccination centre chief doctor Natalya Kuzenkova told Bloomberg .

Only 38 per cent of Russians say they’ll get the vaccine, Bloomberg reports.

Russia has racked up nearly 4 million cases and some (official) 76,000 deaths, putting it up there in the list of devastated countries.

While there was initial distrust for the Russian-developed Sputnik V vaccine, as its rollout was pushed along before testing was complete , some medical experts are now pitting it among the top options to ward off the virus.

The Lancet Medical Journal recently published findings that showed the Sputnik offered protection on par with US and European developed vaccines.

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James Vince’s masterful 95 and magnificent catch have delivered defending champions Sydney Sixers a 27-run win over Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League final.

Vince, asked to bat first in front of a sold-out SCG on Saturday night, marched the Sixers to a total of 6-188.

James Vince smashes another boundary at the SCG. Photo: AAP/Dan Himbrechts

Momentum ebbed and flowed during a drama-laden chase that finished with the Scorchers at 9-161, but it was Vince’s epic performance at bat that fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground will remember most of all.

Vince’s unbeaten 98 delivered the Sixers a crushing nine-wicket win over Perth in last week’s qualifying final at Manuka Oval, where AJ Tye’s wide ended the match and denied the right-hander a shot at a ton.

Asked to bat first in front of a sold-out SCG on Saturday night, Vince picked up where he left off.

The 29-year-old Englishman picked gaps and stroked 13 boundaries, demonstrating impeccable timing against a star-studded Perth attack led by the BBL’s leading wicket-taker Jhye Richardson.

The target could easily have been bigger than 189, given the Sixers raced to 3-140 in 15 overs without taking the power surge.

Once again, discussion at the ground quickly turned to whether Vince would become the Sixers’ first batsman in BBL history to reach three figures.

Mitch Marsh and a diving Cameron Bancroft put down chances in the deep during the 15th over of the innings, when Vince was on 82 and 92 respectively.

But Marsh held a catch at the start of the following over, helping veteran legspinner Fawad Ahmed end Vince’s polished knock.

Tye stepped up to restrict the damage in the final five overs, and was once again was in the midst of controversy.

BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPS!

🏆🏆 #BBL10 pic.twitter.com/v0XBMasSdr

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) February 6, 2021

Dan Christian fumed after he was dismissed on 20 off a full delivery from Tye that ended the 19th over, clearly believing it should have been called a no-ball.

Tye was booed every time he entered the attack during the Sixers’ first game at home this season, which marked the fourth season-deciding final between the rivals.

Vince passed 50 in 31 balls, with his most glaring mistake being a shambolic mix-up with the BBL’s player of the tournament Josh Philippe.

Philippe was run out by Tye after both openers ended up at the striker’s end during the fourth over, but the wicket failed to unsettle Vince.

-AAP

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Sean Turnell, an Australian economic adviser to Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi, has said he has been detained, days after Ms Suu Kyi was overthrown in a coup.

“I’ve just been detained at the moment, and perhaps charged with something, I don’t know what that would be, could be anything at all of course,” he told the BBC.

“Everyone’s been very polite and all that, but obviously I’m not free to move or anything like that.”

In a message to Reuters, he said he was “fine and strong, and not guilty of anything”, along with a smile emoji.

It was not subsequently possible to contact him.

This is the first known arrest of a foreign national in Myanmar since the army generals seized power alleging fraud in a November 8 election that Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide.

The military detained Sean Turnell, an Australian economic advisor to Aung San Suu Kyi days after the coup. https://t.co/wF8m5v5aW3

— Myanmar Now (@Myanmar_Now_Eng) February 6, 2021

Professor Turnell is the director of the Myanmar Development Institute in the capital, Naypyidaw, where he has been based since 2017.

He is also a professor of economics at Macquarie University and has previously worked as a senior analyst at the Reserve Bank of Australia.

In a statement, a Macquarie University spokesperson said Professor Turnell was a “long-standing and distinguished member” of the university’s economics department.

“We are aware of reports of his arrest and fully support both his work in Myanmar and the efforts of the Australian Government to secure his swift release,” the spokesperson said.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the Australian Government was “deeply concerned” about the reports of Australian and other foreign nationals being arbitrarily detained in Myanmar.

“We are providing consular assistance to a number of Australians in Myanmar,” Senator Payne said in a statement.

“In particular, we have serious concerns about an Australian who has been detained at a police station.

“We have called in the Myanmar ambassador and registered the Australian Government’s deep concern about these events.”

@MarisePayne Australia advisor has been detained by military government. The internet connection has been cut off today and I cannot contact with my family anymore. Please take action immediately. Please. NO MORE SILENCE #HearTheVoiceOfMyanmar #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar

— myanmar civilian (@myanmarcivilian) February 6, 2021

Professor Turnell had previously posted several times to his Twitter account in the wake of the coup, confirming his safety and expressing dismay at the situation.

“Internet comes and goes, but not the grief on the faces of my Myanmar friends,” Professor Turnell wrote on Twitter earlier this week.

“Gut-wrenching and heartbreaking. Utter catastrophe for the economy of course, but that for later,” he said.

-ABC

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Fashion stylists and designers often talk about wardrobe foundations, the key pieces that every woman needs to have every occasion covered.

When I see a list in a magazine or on social media, I always have a quick skim, to see if there is a new addition that I may have missed, like an orange catsuit, or silver platform rainboots.

But no, the classics seem to have pretty much remained the classics, so it’s worth just doing a rundown of the top 12 so we know we are on the right path.

Top 12 wardrobe staples

1. A tailored blazer

A tailored blazer in black, navy, or in a neutral like sand or khaki, a smart blazer will pull any outfit together and can even be put on over workout gear. Current styles are a little oversized and boxy, for ease of movement. I am currently eyeing off one in teal blue velvet for some added drama.

2. High-waisted jeans

High-waisted seems to the defining trend for 2021, either straight legged, or loose fit. Warning – high waist and loose fit is heading into mom jeans, so probably better left to the young. High-waisted and straight is great look, with a heel and a jacket, at any age.

Practical wardrobe staples will outlast the latest fashion trends. Photo: Getty

3. A white shirt

White shirt. You can’t have too many. Oversized man’s style is a good option, looks great over blue jeans and black leggings.

4. Leggings

Aha, the legging . They are such a modern, comfortable, versatile option for any age. Wear them with a big white shirt, or with a T-shirt and a longer-line blazer.

Leggings aren’t just for yoga and ’80s costume parties. Photo: Getty

5. A trench coat

The Trench. A neat khaki trench is a no-brainer, a bit of French girl cool with a utilitarian edge. And pockets!

A trench coat is a no-brainer. Photo: Burberry.com

6. A soft knit

A roomy black, grey or camel sweater is always appropriate, night and day. Short-sleeve sweaters are also a great trans-seasonal piece, very chic.

7. A well-cut suit

A well-cut suit is another timeless solution piece. Black is an obvious option and will double as a tuxedo for more formal events, if you add jewels and heels. White or crème is also a gorgeous choice if you can bear the dry cleaning. The jacket and pants can also be worn separately of course to make more outfit options; a cream jacket with jeans is a smart look for lunch or dinner dates.

A well-cut suit is a timeless solution. Photo: Zara.com

8. A dress

Choose any style that suits your figure type. It might be a silky slip dress (a sweater, cardigan or trench can be worn with it) A-line, a sack dress with puffy sleeves, a sheath, a button-through shirtwaister, a tunic. I bought a new one this week, mid length, long voluminous sleeves, which are edged with a band of striking yellow fluoro trim to add interest. And with, joy of joy, pockets.

9. A t-shirt

T-shirt. A silky black T-shirt will work back with everything, a key wardrobe essential

10. A mid-length skirt

Current styles are a wrapped and line, but again, go with the cut that suits your body shape. I am currently mad about bias-cut slip skirts with  elastic waists – I have them in metallic silver, navy silk and pink sequins. I love them worn casually with the cotton shirt and a sneaker.

11. A hoodie

I feel like this is a newish foundation piece, but since COVID, lounge wear and sportswear feel like they are here to stay. Make it cashmere for ultimate in casual luxe.

A cashmere hoodie is casually luxurious. Photo: Bloomingdales.com

12. A comfy cardigan

The oversized cardigan. Chunky, ribbed or textured, the grandpa cardigan is key to easy weekend style.

There’s your basic perfect 12. Next week we will add some insanity. I need to discuss my new lime green patio pants.

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Australia is in the middle of a baby bust – and the spiralling costs of raising a child make another boom unlikely.

Before COVID-19 saw more parents lose their jobs, Australia’s fertility rate fell to a record low of 1.66 babies for every woman.

Experts believe that figure, which predates the pandemic, shows the costs of parenting are too much to stomach. And that’s without the added pressure of a once-in-a-generation recession.

“Young people are really getting a raw deal,” ANU demographer Dr Liz Allen told The New Daily earlier this month.

So, how much does it actually cost to raise a family?

On behalf of the government, the UNSW Social Research Centre in 2018 found the minimum amount a low-income couple should budget to raise two children aged between six and 10-years-old was $1173.

The analysis factored in food ($200.91), household goods and services ($139.10), transport ($144.72), education ($61.26) and rent ($457.50). And it advised couples with one child to budget for $970 per week.

However, even savvy savers can be caught out by the upfront cost of setting up a newborn in the home.

Just ask Adelaide bank manager Alex Mackenzie, 29, who said he and his wife were startled by the costs of raising their first child – and that was four years before COVID-19 entered the global lexicon.

“Even though we had our firstborn privately, it still cost us $4000 to $5000 just to have him, and including prams and other items we needed to set him up, [the total cost] would’ve [been double] that,” Mr Mackenzie told The New Daily.

“We were saving for a house so we had the funds, but I was surprised by how expensive it was.”

Fortunately, their second son benefitted from “a lot of hand-me-downs” – including clothes, cots and prams.

The couple now budgets $250 a week to cover childcare ($80), food ($100), and consumables including nappies, clothes and activities ($70).

But Mr Mackenzie said the added costs encouraged the family to organise its shopping habits around supermarket specials, and to seek out attractions that offer family deals and discounts.

Childcare costs jump as debate over rebates continues

Though higher than many might expect, the expenses covered by UNSW’s research pale in comparison against the cost of child care and schooling

According to the OECD, an average-earning Australian couple rearing two young children spend roughly 17 per cent of their income on full-time net childcare costs.

The costs are so high that they forced more than 90,000 Australians to stay out of the workforce last year, according to a Productivity Commission report released on Tuesday .

Rachel Chapman and her family welcomed their third child into the world during the pandemic. Photo: Supplied

Melbourne mother-of-three Rachel Chapman said the after-rebate cost of sending her sons, aged 8 and 5, to child care was $500 a fortnight.

Ms Chapman said she expects to fork out another $400 a fortnight on her six-month-old once she returns to work.

But she said she prepared for the financial hit by setting aside $1000 from her fortnightly wages as soon as she fell pregnant – a process she repeated with her other children.

Although the costs of sending her sons to public primary schools are lower than child care (the Australian Scholarships Group estimates putting a child through prep to year 12 is $68,813 for government schools and $487,093 for private), other costs are eating into the budget.

“I am finding groceries to feed a growing family of five are getting a bit out of control,” Ms Chapman said.

“And extracurricular activities, such as guitar lessons, $300 a term, and swimming lessons, which were $40 a week for my sons pre-COVID, are expensive once they all add up.”

Moving to a single-income household a worry for many

Glen Hare, co-founder of financial advisory firm Fox & Hare, said many couples were concerned about the prospect of relying on a single income when having a child.

With families regularly expected to survive on one salary for six to 12 months (with one full-time caregiver), creating a financial buffer before thinking about pregnancy can be helpful, he said.

For example, if a family’s average monthly spend on bills, mortgage repayments, other essentials and discretionary items is $9000, and the sole income earner’s monthly earnings is $7000, couples should aim to build up a buffer of $12,000 to $24,000.

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Thousands of US marines will begin arriving in the Northern Territory within days as part of an annual training rotation, the Department of Defence has confirmed.

About 2,200 marines will arrive in Darwin from the United States between now and June this year, arriving in batches of 200-500 marines.

The Department of Defence says each marine will have to do a coronavirus test within 72 hours of their departure and show a negative result before boarding the plane to Australia.

After they touch down in the Northern Territory, the marines will have to do another COVID-19 test and then undertake 14 days of quarantine. Before leaving quarantine, each person will be tested again for COVID-19.

To accommodate the large group, the Marine Rotational Force — Darwin (MRF-D) unit has rented a secure facility outside the NT capital for most of the US arrivals to quarantine in.

The first two groups, however, will quarantine in isolated accommodation on an unnamed Australian Defence base.

Earlier this year, the use of a Darwin CBD hotel as a quarantine facility for international military arrivals was the subject of significant criticism from health groups, including the Australian Medical Association and the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT.

About 2,200 US marines will arrive in Darwin by June. Photo: Department Of Defence

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said the use of the leased facility and Defence base would ensure the marines’ arrival had no impact on repatriating Australians from overseas, which remained a key national priority for the Australian government.

Ms Reynolds said the rotation would build on the success of last year’s modified deployment.

In 2020, the annual rotation of marines was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, and a modified rotation of about 1,200 — roughly half the usual numbers — trained in the Northern Territory.

“The ability for this year’s MRF-D to go ahead under challenging global circumstances, is a testament to the endurance and adaptability of the Australia-US Alliance,” Ms Reynolds said.

– ABC

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A devastating bushfire burning north-east of Perth has been downgraded to a watch and act warning, as firefighters contained most of the blaze overnight.

WA’s Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) reported that 95 per cent of the fire was contained early this morning, but said the blaze remained uncontrolled in the vicinity of Clenton Road, O’Brien Road, Ewing Road and Walyunga National Park near the lookout.

It comes as firefighters spent a fifth night battling the blaze, which destroyed 86 homes and burned through almost 11,000 hectares of land.

Authorities say weather conditions will present challenges despite the warning downgrade. Photo: DFES/Evan Collis

DFES deputy commissioner Craig Waters said it was a great effort from fire crews overnight.

“They’ve done a fantastic job,” he told ABC Radio.

“They had a number of flare ups that they had to deal with and obviously the strong easterly winds throughout the night, gusting up to 80 kilometres an hour.

“It was just a fantastic effort in keeping the fire contained to the fire area.”

However, he said the situation may change quickly.

“[We’re] just asking the community to be aware and maintain some situational awareness, as conditions may change at any moment.”

Rain a boost for firefighters

The watch and act alert is in place for people in parts of Avon Valley National Park, Brigadoon, Bullsbrook, Gidgegannup, Upper Swan and Walyunga National Park in the City of Swan.

The fire is largely contained and controlled except for a small area south of Clenton Road.

More residents are expected to be allowed to return to their properties. Photo: ABC News/Hugh Sando

Deputy commissioner Waters said forecast rain over the weekend would bring some relief.

“The rain is just good news all around,” he said.

“Obviously we’ve got a lot of fatigued firefighters [who] have been working since the early stages of this fire so it will be a [relief to them].”

However, Mr Waters said the weather conditions were still concerning.

“The issue for us is any gusty winds preceding that onset of rainfall could put pressure on some of the flare up areas,” he said.

“We sent a line scanner over the incident this morning which identified significant hotspots contained within the fire area, so the crews still have significant work to do to mop up this fire.”

Hotspots a concern amid gusty winds

DFES incident controller John Newman said people should remain vigilant.

“What we’re mindful of now is the number of hotspots within the fire area that have been picked up, so with the forecast winds today, we’re going to require a lot of vigilance on the fire perimeter to make sure we don’t have any more breakouts,” he said.

Residents in areas east of Toodyay Road were granted access to their properties on Friday afternoon as local roads were reopened.

Firefighters are on guard for hotspot flare-ups amid concerns about gusty winds. Photo: Facebook/Mick Dybac

Mr Waters said the department would aim to issue permits for further residents to return today.

“We’re starting to commence our Restricted Access Permits from today to some areas west of Toodyay Road, but that won’t be the entire fire ground,” he said.

“There’s still some trees and other hazards like asbestos and burning embers still in some of the areas, so we need to make sure it’s safe for the community to return.”

Around 480 homes and businesses have been left without power, with significant damage caused to the electricity network in the bushfire area.

Western Power has warned it could take weeks for the network to be rebuilt.

Several roads have been reopened, including the Great Northern Highway and Chittering Road in both directions between Great Northern Highway and Wilson Road.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area, reduce speed and drive carefully.

-ABC

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Australia has recorded another day of no locally acquired cases of COVID-19.

NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia all on Saturday announced they had recorded no new local COVID-19 cases in their respective 24-hour reporting windows.

Western Australia, which on Saturday exited its five-day lockdown after a hotel quarantine worker picked up the virus, also reported no new cases.

However the Victorian government announced it has changed mask policies for hotel quarantine staff and will review hotel air flow, seeking to avoid a repeat of this week’s two suspected COVID-19 leaks.

Hotel quarantine staff in Victoria have since Thursday been required to wear a face shield and surgical mask while on the job.

Staff were previously wearing only an N-95 mask.

Hotel quarantine organisers from Wednesday also established “buffers” between family groups and other guests, resulting in 140 rooms being taken out of the system, and staggered food delivery times.

The moves follow a case of suspected COVID-19 transmission among two separate groups of guests at Melbourne’s Park Royal Hotel, and a worker at the Grand Hyatt testing positive to the coronavirus.

The moves come as more stranded Australians prepare to return home when international arrival caps return to higher levels.

Victoria will increase its weekly hotel quarantine capacity to 1310 from February 15 as a month-long national “slowdown” on arrivals concludes.

NSW will from February 15 return to a cap of about 3000 people a week, while Queensland is reverting to 1000 and SA to 530.

NSW Health is now asking returning overseas travellers to take an additional test after emerging for 14 days in hotel quarantine.

The day 16 test is not mandatory but strongly recommended as an enhanced measure to protect the community.

Travellers emerging from hotel quarantine will be contacted by NSW Health contact tracers on the sixteenth day, to assess their health and ask them to attend a nearby testing clinic.

Tweet from @NSWHealth

Elsewhere, Western Australia will retain its halved cap of 500 until the end of the month.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the increased caps after a national cabinet meeting with state and territory leaders on Friday.

The return to more arrivals – having been briefly paused due to the emergence of the contagious UK and South African virus strains – will coincide with the commencement of the Australian vaccination program.

Hotel quarantine workers, frontline staff and border officials are first in line for the Pfizer coronavirus jab, along with the elderly and most vulnerable.

Department of Health head Brendan Murphy says the risk of the virus leaking from hotel quarantine will reduce once its workers have had the jab. State borders could then also be relaxed on a lasting basis.

While he was hesitant to give a possible time frame for when Australia’s international border restrictions will ease, Professor Murphy said officials would keep a close eye on how well the population was protected after vaccinations.

“Progressively over the second half of this year we should see a trajectory towards normality,” he told a parliamentary inquiry on Friday.

The government hopes most Australians will be vaccinated by late October.

Australia has secured more than 150 million doses of various vaccines.

-with AAP

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