Australia news live updates: leaders meet to ‘war game’ Covid vaccine rollout, PM’s popularity drops

Hello and a very good morning to you all.

It is only Tuesday? That doesn’t seem right. In any case, it’s Matilda Boseley here ready to sail the rough seas of the morning’s news with you.

First up, state and federal officials are meeting today to “war game” the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

(Note to self: Vaccine rollout is not a race. Is a war.)

This comes after the Queensland premier told her state that anyone booking in for a Pfizer vaccine would have to wait until at least October due to supply limits and the NSW health minister likened the state’s quest to get doses to The Hunger Games.

So now, the head of the Vaccine Taskforce, Lieutenant General John Frewen, will sit down with health officials from around the country this morning to discuss what vaccines we have coming in, which role state-run vaccines hubs will play in the months to come and where on earth we are going to get all the vaccine staff from when the rollout ramps up.

In other news, the latest Guardian Essential poll shows Scott Morrison’s approval rating dropping six points in a month, as support for the federal government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic dipped.

The latest survey of 1,099 voters indicates that voters have lost confidence in the prime minister during this outbreak.

Approval for Morrison slipped from 57% to 51% and disapproval also climbed by four points from 36% to 40%.

This survey came as a number of Australian cities were entering lockdown and premiers and health ministers publicly expressed their frustration about the pace of the vaccination rollout, Queensland’s leaders even going as far as telling their citizen’s not to listen to the prime minister’s health advice and urged people under 40 not to get the AstraZeneca vaccine.

However, Morrison’s six-point drop has not translated to a six-point rise for opposition leader Anthony Albanese. He climbed by only two points, rising from 39% to 41%, which is within the survey’s margin of error.

Well with that, why don’t we jump into the day.

If there is something you think I’ve missed or think should be in the blog but isn’t, shoot me a message on Twitter @MatildaBoseley or email me at matilda.boseley@theguardian.com