Scott Morrison is adamant Australia's goal has never been to achieve zero coronavirus cases as national agreement on pandemic strategy frays.
The prime minister said on Monday the nation remained in a suppression phase of the fight against the disease while vaccination rates increase.
"The idea that you can have zero COVID in any country has never been Australia's plan," he told the ABC.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has conceded her state will not eradicate the virus, while her Victorian counterpart Daniel Andrews agrees.
But Western Australia's leader Mark McGowan is signalling he will continue to pursue a zero-case goal even after reaching 80 per cent vaccination coverage.
Federal, state and territory governments have backed targets of 70 and 80 per cent to reduce the possibility of lockdowns and reopen the country.
Mr Morrison said Doherty Institute and Treasury modelling underpinning the national cabinet agreement was clear about the targets' importance.
"Once you hit those levels, it is neither in our health or economic interests to go down that path," he said.
The institute's epidemiology director Jodie McVernon cast doubt on whether the WA goal was achievable.
"My personal view is, that's a very difficult promise to keep," she told ABC radio.
The prime minister said all governments agreed to the reopening strategy three times.
"That's the deal that all premiers and chief ministers have signed up to and made that commitment to their own citizens," Mr Morrison said.
"We've got to hold to that."
More than half of the one million Pfizer doses Australia will receive from Poland arrived overnight with the balance to touch down in coming days.
About 530,000 will be rushed to 12 Sydney hot spots for people aged 20 to 39, while the rest will be shared across the country based on population.
Poland is reselling the doses on a non-profit basis.
Australia has vaccinated 26 per cent of its population aged 16 and above, while 47.7 per cent have had a single jab.
All of NSW is in lockdown, with the state recording another 415 cases and a further four deaths on Sunday.
Melbourne recorded 22 new local cases on Monday with the city's lockdown likely to be extended again.
Canberra's cluster has grown to 10 with more cases expected to be announced later in the day as the ACT waits to see if lockdown will end as scheduled on Thursday.
