The prime minister will chair a virtual national cabinet meeting from Canberra on Friday.

Mr Morrison has spent weeks arguing there is no magic number of vaccinations that will trigger Australia reopening its international borders and ending domestic restrictions.

But with millions of people forced into lockdown again, he now concedes it is time to set clear expectations around what percentage of the population needs to be vaccinated.

"It's time to start laying it out for the Australian public," Mr Morrison told The Australian.

"It is imperative the premiers, chief ministers and I address that question. It comes down to the medical science and what are the magic numbers."

The prime minister said modelling had already been done on the Alpha variant and was almost complete on the more contagious Delta variant.

"Australians have been patient and that has helped us achieve what we have achieved to protect lives and livelihoods," he said.

"We now need to get to the next level. The package the public deserves needs a consolidated agreement from all of us."

More than 12 million people remain in lockdown across Australia as states scramble to contain outbreaks.

Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia are calling for drastic cuts to international arrivals while they bring the virus under control.

Labor premiers want the returned traveller cap reduced by up to 80 per cent.

The federal government has left the door open to further tightening the international border.

The fiery national cabinet meeting will also focus on the bungled national vaccine rollout and mixed messaging around the AstraZeneca jab.

Mr Morrison triggered a week of competing claims about vaccine advice after highlighting a path for younger people to receive AstraZeneca after consulting with their GP.

After days of confusion and conflicting statements, Australia's expert immunisation panel reiterated its advice that Pfizer was preferred for all people aged under 60.

Their advice is based on the vanishingly small risk of rare blood clots associated with the AstraZeneca jab.

Thursday was a record day for vaccinations with more than 160,000 people receiving jabs nationwide.

Almost eight per cent of Australian adults are now fully vaccinated, but the nation lags far behind all other comparable countries.

Australian Associated Press