Australia Covid news live update: record cases in NSW and steep rise in Victoria; Tony Abbott attacks mask ‘snitching’

NSW reports 1,599 new cases and eight deaths; Victoria records 450 cases, ACT 15 and South Australia one; Queensland premier flags possible lockdown. Follow live

• NSW update: Brad Hazzard defends end to daily press conferences as cases and death toll worsen
• Qld update: five new cases as Palaszczuk flags possible lockdown
• Restrictions: NSW; Vic; borders
• NSW Covid vaccination rate by postcode - check your suburb
• Covid vaccine rollout and rates tracker; cases, trends and data tracker
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9.06am BST

That's where we will leave the blog for Saturday. We'll be back again tomorrow with all the latest in Covid-19 news from Australia.

Here's what made the news today:

8.42am BST

This is good to see.

Victoria is now doing first doses faster than anywhere else in the nation pic.twitter.com/7q6FIejYn3