One of the biggest obstacles in the rollout of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine has been removed in the US.
Overnight the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it would allow for undiluted frozen vials of the vaccine to be transported and stored at conventional freezer temperatures for up to a fortnight.
Presently the vials need to be stored at about -70C, a temperature so cold it requires very specific equipment.
LIVE UPDATES:
A vial of the Pfizer vaccine is prepared for use.(AP)
The FDA ruling comes after Pfizer submitted data to show the undiluted vaccine could be safely kept in a normal pharmaceutical freezer for up to two weeks.
Easter 2021: When is it and public holiday dates explained
9news.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from 9news.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Coronavirus NSW: Restrictions ease across NSW as state hopes for 40 days of no local cases
9news.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from 9news.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Supermarket giant Coles will soon stop selling single-use plastic tableware and cutlery.
In an effort to cut down on waste, shops across the country will stop stocking plastic products such as cups, plates, bowls, straws and cutlery by July 1.
This is predicted to reduce the amount of single use plastic in landfill by 1.5 million kilograms a year.
READ MORE:
Coles Supermarkets will stop selling a range of single-us plastics later this year.(Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Coles CEO Steven Cain said the company is working to help the environment but also respond to its customer s needs.
Clean Up Australia Chairman Pip Kiernan said single-use plastic items such as tableware accounted for around 18 per cent of the items collected by volunteers last year.