Kids must be in our national vaccination plan, says scientist; meet our Paralympian flagbearers

He said kids had to be factored into the vaccination strategy as soon as possible.

And that speaks to new modelling which has found at least 90 per cent of all Australians, including children, should be vaccinated against COVID-19 before the country can open up safely.

The third wave, driven by the more infectious Delta strain, is taking hold in younger and unvaccinated age groups.

Research released on Tuesday shows children will directly benefit from vaccination.

"If we could achieve 75 cent vaccination coverage among children and adolescents, we could prevent 12,000 hospitalisations in these age groups," Quentin Grafton from the Australian National University said.

Dozens of staff from another major Melbourne hospital are isolating after being exposed to COVID-19, as Victoria's coronavirus outbreak continues to escalate.

St Vincent's Hospital confirmed 24 emergency department staff are now in quarantine after being "potentially exposed to COVID-19", a spokesman said on Monday night.

The hospital's emergency department has been listed as a tier two exposure site with anyone who visited on August 14 between 7.20am and 5.40pm urged to get tested and isolate until a negative result.

Scott Morrison has played down tensions on easing coronavirus restrictions amid sniping over the national roadmap.

The prime minister has declared Australia "has to move forward" and open up when 70 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated. But WA Premier Mark McGowan is not so sure. He says the national plan includes scope for highly-targeted lockdowns even at 80 per cent vaccination.

"The real issue in Australia at the moment is what's happening in NSW ... rather than hypotheticals about what might happen in December or January or some point like that," Mr McGowan said.

Batt, di Toro to carry flag at Paralympics

Australian co-captains Danni di Toro and Ryley Batt have been named the team's flagbearers for the Tokyo Paralympics opening ceremony.

They will be the only members of the 179-member Australian team at tonight's opening ceremony.

"The world's going through a lot of negativity at the moment, but this is a hugely positive thing for Australia," Batt said. "Danni and I are just being ourselves and bringing this mob together."

Meanwhile, changing the Guard has been performed at Buckingham Palace for the first time since the start of the pandemic, with the musical backdrop paying tribute to the success of the Team GB Olympians.

Tunes played by the Band of the Coldstream Guards in honour of Britain's Olympic achievements included Spandau Ballet's Gold, The Olympic Theme, Chariots of Fire, and Whitney Houston's One Moment In Time.