Protecting the health of Australians must remain the nation's number one priority but a smarter, consistent and more predictable approach to restrictions will help reduce the economic and social costs of managing the virus.

Key points:

• update national hotspot definitions to reflect the Delta strain
• use consistent definitions to trigger lockdowns
• lockdowns should be localised to affected areas rather than automatically locking down entire states
• provide milestones around lockdown stages to remove the day-to-day guessing game around rules and decisions 
• agree on predictable and consistent national public health orders
• ensure support for individuals is paid quickly, and is easy to apply for and understand
• set up national architecture to roll-out an expanded version of NSW’s JobSaver scheme
• ensure impacted businesses are eligible for administrative relief, including tax deferrals
• consider extending support for heavily impacted aviation and tourism sectors
• outline a roadmap to reopening which includes a role for business to speed up the national vaccine roll-out, and
• provide clear information on the availability, risks and benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine based on the latest medical advice.