The focus was largely on the east coast (surprise, surprise). The sizeable numbers came from NSW and Victoria; the promises from, well, NSW and Victoria; and the muscularity from, well, really, in varying degrees, all the eastern states.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's day revolved around kids. She refused to commit to immediately easing COVID-19 restrictions when her state hits the magical 70 and 80 per cent vaccination goals. And it's because she's waiting on the prime minister to provide modelling on what will happen to kids up to 12 years of age if restrictions are eased at that point.

Ms Palaszczuk's mood was probably not enhanced when federal Health Minister Greg Hunt chose to quote her own health department's report about COVID and kids back to her.

And that was after he'd labelled Queensland's strict border policy a "profound moral failure" after revelations a three-year-old boy was living on a NSW cattle station, separated from his parents.

Memphis Francis went to visit his grandparents place in the NSW Riverina back in July and has been there ever since, News Limited revealed. But no longer. The exemption his family said hasn't been previously granted now has. Oh, the magic of media.

Which is probably a nice segue into the advice of Victoria's chief psychiatrist today. Neil Coventry reassured us that it was OK to feel confused and uncertain and that life now was particularly challenging for children and teenagers, who had spent much of the past 18 months learning from home.

He encouraged parents to talk to their kids about coping, encouraged them to exercise and was "very pleased" playgrounds in Victoria will reopen from Friday. Probably not quite as pleased as parents, though.

There were rewards on offer in NSW, too - for the jabbed, that is. People in hotspots can leave home for longer than an hour now NSW has hit its 70 per cent first vax target. Make it to 80 per cent and even more treats, the Premier promised.

The government has flagged that at 70 per cent double-dose coverage, vaccinated people can expect to go out for a meal and attend public events. Oh, and from Friday small weddings will again be permitted in NSW, but the list of caveats is about as long as your average 1980 bridal train.

Did you know you can receive this daily digest by email? Sign up here

THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW: