"The Prime Minister said the National Cabinet was provided with an update from Australia's Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly and Federal Health Department boss Professor Brendan Murphy on the progress of Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout in terms of TGA approvals, as well as state and territory preparations.
"The combination of those briefings reinforced a very important point," Mr Morrison said.
"And that is, now that we're in 2021, the risk environment the risk matrix has shifted. It has altered."
He said these "new trends" will have policy implications.
Mr Morrison said that this shift has been brought about in part by a strengthening of the systems in place to contain the virus, first seen on display in Brisbane when the UK variant escaped from their hotel quarantine.
"So, the systems are better, the responses we're getting from the public - including in places like Western Australia, or Queensland, where there hadn't been those types of instances as regularly as we've seen in, say, NSW or Victoria, they have been managed - and we were very pleased about that.
"That has a downward impact on the risk.
"But, equally, where we've seen new strains and other new information coming forward, that can increase the risk.
"And then, of course, there is the impact of the vaccine itself.""By Lara Pearce
The meeting was seen as likely to result in major changes to the handling of the crisis and an announcement was expected.
In fact there was no great change and that was what he reported.
There are to many moving parts and new developments that as soon as any promise or commitment is made then you are held to account. Any politician worth their pay will always dance around any black and white answer.
