Australia will reduce flights from India, which is seeing a surge in coronavirus cases, and will also limit Australians who need to go there to "only very urgent cases".

Some flights are coming in from India to Darwin, under special arrangements, as well as to Sydney.

There are more than 34,000 Australians overseas who want to come back, including from India.

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"What we have agreed to do, and this particularly relates to the chartered services we're running into the Northern Territory, we will be reducing by some 30 per cent the numbers coming through our chartered services in the months ahead," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.

"We will also be limiting the departure exceptions for Australians travelling to high-risk countries … to India.

"So those who may have been going for family events such as weddings or sadly funerals, these were things that were restricted in Australia for Australians, in this country.

"There are some exemptions that are provided in these circumstances, and we'll be instructing the Border Force to ensure only very urgent circumstances would an exemption be permitted for someone to travel to a high-risk country."

Flights coming into Sydney from India will be cut by 30 per cent. Australians already need an exemption to go abroad and can only go for a small list of reasons.

"There are many countries in the world, the Prime Minister was talking about India, that is in very serious situations with COVID and the risk of COVID importation and outbreak in Australia is ever present," Chief Health Minister, Brendan Murphy said.

High risk countries not yet finalised

Mr Morrison said a list of high risk countries could be identified soon.

"To give you an idea about high risk countries, the UK, who allows people to enter, have got a list of red list countries that only residents, only citizens can return from," he said.

"While we're not adopting that list, it gives you somewhat of an idea of the type of approach we'll be seeking to put in place from those high risk countries.

"The chief medical officer working with others and DFAT will be seeking to put a list of high risk countries in place."

Other flights could be reduced

More flights could be cut from other high risk countries, the PM said.

There are new rules for testing for Aussies coming home from 'high risk' countries.

People need to have had a PCR coronavirus test 72 hours before leaving.

That is in addition to other testing rules, including by airlines.

'Not something we could ignore'

The PM has been asked about the flights being cut, despite thousands of expats still trapped in India.

India is one of the main countries Aussies are stuck, including dual citizens.

Everybody who returns has to do strict hotel quarantine, but he said there has been an increase in people with the virus arriving in Australia from India.

"It reflects that we're in the middle of a global pandemic that is raging," he said.

"And Australia has been successful throughout this pandemic, working together with the states and territories, to have very effective border arrangements.

"Countries that didn't follow that practice have found themselves in the situation they're in.

"Australians are living like few others anywhere else in the world.

"We take those border arrangements very seriously.

"This is a way of matching that risk.

"We have seen the proportion of total cases from that one particular cohort from about 10 per cent to 40 per cent of cases.

Australian testing requirements to change

Australia will change testing requirements for people returning from badly hit countries overseas.

Mr Morrison said if people have been in a 'high-risk country' for 14 days, they will need a PCR test- a common type of COVID test – 72 hours before leaving the last place they got on a plane to come to Australia.

The high risk list which has not yet been identified except for Morrison indicating it would include India.

People already need to have a negative virus test before boarding a flight, plus are tested twice in hotel quarantine, but this will be an extra rule.

"That means if people change planes somewhere, they would need to stop and do a test," he said.

"We have to work through with officials and others before we put this in place but in the interests of transparency – we're saying in that last point of embarkation which would be Doha or Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, you would need a PCR test 72 hours before that takes place."

He said Sydney has direct flights from India but other Australian cities don't.

Only Australian citizens and residents and their families can fly in, unless people get special permission.

"That's not something we could ignore.

"We have been working hard to get Australians home, particularly since last September.

"And there will continue to be the opportunity for those to return from places like India, but in very controlled circumstances."

He said he expects an update on flights from India to Sydney within 24 hours.

READ MORE: India sets new global record for daily COVID-19 cases

Over 1.8 million Australians vaccinated so far

Mr Morrison said just over 1.8m people have been vaccinated in the nation now, including his mum, who is among the over 70s group who can go for vaccinations.

That includes more than 67,000 people in 24 hours, with numbers of about 60,000 each day.

He said the vaccination program has ramped up since GPs started giving jabs out too.

He said Australia is pulling ahead of regions like France, Italy, New Zealand and Canada at the same time of their vaccination rollout.

He said National Cabinet has agreed Pfizer doses will be prioritised for those under 50 who qualify now for vaccinations, such as health workers.

Leaders agreed AstraZeneca vaccines will be brought forward for over 50s from May 3 at special respiratory clinics.

From May 17, GPs will get them too.

The Federal Government has limited the COVID Pfizer vaccine to Australians aged under 50.

Speaking after National Cabinet today, Secretary of the Department of Health Brendan Murphy said the Pfizer vaccine is "restricted to those under 50", despite earlier advice that it was "recommended" for that age group.

"With a few exceptions, Pfizer is now restricted to those under 50," he said.

READ MORE: India sets new global record for daily COVID-19 cases

"But people always have a choice and more Pfizer will be available later in the year. At this stage we will not be making Pfizer available to those 50 and over."

"(For over 50s) we recommend AstraZeneca, the risk-benefit for over 50 is vastly in favour of being vaccinated."

Professor Murphy said the vaccine rollout was going well and aged care residents were "almost done".

"We have to finish off residential aged care. It's nearly finished," he said.

"Only a few more weeks to go and we have efficient teams going in there giving Pfizer to our aged care residents.

"We will soon have them completely protected and they are the single most high-risk group in this country and all around the world from COVID."

READ MORE: Health experts warn against flu shot complacency as numbers expected to flare up this year

Professor Murphy confirmed people aged over 50 will be able to receive AstraZeneca vaccine as soon as May.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that the Pfizer vaccine will be prioritised for people under 50.

"Once again we enforce that Pfizer would be prioritised, the doses available for those under 50 and those 1A and 1B groups.

"They will also be prioritised to those in residential aged care facilities and disability care in remote and very remote locations, and for quarantine and those essential front-line workers who are working in those areas which are vaccinated by the states and territories," Mr Morrison said.

Professor Murphy gave more details on changes to the vaccine rollout, which will see people aged 50-70 allowed to book in.

READ MORE: Bunnings 'open' to using warehouses as vaccination hubs

That's because many under 50s who qualify now, such as health workers, are opting not to have their the AstraZeneca vaccine because of the very rare chance of blood clots.

Officials earlier said people were eight times more likely to get blood clots from coronavirus itself.

"We also now have the capacity because we're not giving under 50s AstraZeneca in the GP clinics and in some of the state clinic," he said.

"We have the capacity to bring forward some of the other people in phase 2A who would have access to AstraZeneca, those between 50 and 70, for people 50 and over can get access to AstraZeneca in coming weeks.

READ MORE: 'There's no end goal': Expats' heartbreak over COVID-19 border closures

"We hope that Australians heed the call to come out and get vaccinated," Professor Murphy said.

He added the risk factor was "vastly" in favour of getting vaccinated.

"I think our over 70s are getting the message that the risk of COVID is far, far, far greater than this very rare condition," he said.

He said three suspected or confirmed cases of blood clots have occurred in Australia from the 1.8m people who have been vaccinated.

Those instances had the AstraZeneca vaccine and were people aged under 50.

Kelly Wilkinson's interactions with police in the days before she died will be subject to an internal police review as questions remain as to how and why her accused killer was on bail.

The 27-year-old mother-of-three was allegedly murdered at her home at Arundel on the Gold Coast on Tuesday morning by her estranged partner Brian Johnston, who was released on bail just eight days earlier.

Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd today said the review would run alongside but separate to a coronial investigation and the criminal investigation currently underway.

READ MORE: Thousands raised for Kelly Wilkinson's children

"Somewhere along the line she had engaged with the system. With us. And we were unable to prevent that from happening," Assist. Comm. Codd said today.

"It doesn't matter that 999 times out of a thousand, we get it right. Our job is to try and prevent the horrific circumstances that occurred on this occasion from occurring. We weren't able to do that.

"Ultimately it's a failure, a woman has died.

It doesn't matter that 999 times out of a thousand, we get it right. Our job is to prevent the horrific circumstances that occurred on this occasion from occurring. We weren't able to do that.

"The circumstances around bail decisions will certainly be part of the review that we will be undertaking."

Assist. Comm. Codd leads the Domestic and Family Violence Vulnerable Persons Command which was set up in February after Queensland woman Doreen Langham and her partner died in an apparent murder-suicide in Browns Plains.

Prime Minister's 'profound sorrow'

Today Prime Minister Scott Morrison was asked about the alleged murder of Ms Wilkinson as well as the death of a man and a baby girl near the Barossa Valley in a suspected murder-suicide.

"My response is one of profound sorrow," he said.

"Like it would be for all Australians. These are horrific and sadly they're not the first of these sorts of terrible and awful events that have taken place."

READ MORE: Australia cuts direct flights from India after COVID-19 outbreak

Mr Morrison went on to say governments are continuing to invest in ending violence against women.

"It is truly awful," he said.

"And my heart is profoundly sad at this terrible event and of the impact on the families that are involved, the friends, the trauma of this will be unspeakable.

"And we must continue to just further increase our efforts to do all we can in these circumstances.

"The events that lead to this is hard to understand and how people can take these such violent and appalling acts, but it is something our society has been sadly living with for too long.

"We'll try and prevent it and do all we can. The work that's done in the community is so important to that end. There are people who work in this area.

"Whether they're on the end of phone lines or working in the community, these services are incredibly important.

"There are so many contributing factors. They are incredibly complex issues," he said.

A driver in the US state of South Carolina is the latest person to be killed by an exploding Takata air bag inflator.

Honda said on Wednesday that a faulty driver's air bag blew apart in a crash involving a 2002 Honda Accord in Lancaster County, South Carolina.

The company wouldn't give details of the crash on January 9 near Charlotte, nor would it identify the person who was killed.

READ MORE: More than 6000 Toyota Corolla vehicles added to Takata airbag recall

Honda officials and the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration inspected the car and the air bag parts on Wednesday and determined that the inflator had ruptured, the company said.

The death is the 19th in the US since 2009 and the 28th worldwide caused by the faulty inflators.

Takata used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion to inflate air bags in a crash.

READ MORE: More than 155,000 cars on Aussie roads still have deadly Takata airbags

But the chemical can become more volatile over time when exposed to moisture in the air.

The explosion can blow apart a metal canister and hurl shrapnel into the passenger compartment.

The problem caused the largest series of auto recalls in US history, with at least 63 million inflators recalled.

The US government says that as of last year, more than 11.1 million had not been fixed. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide.

Most of the deaths have been in the US, but they also have occurred in Australia and Malaysia.

Honda said it has shared all the information it has with NHTSA and will continue to cooperate in the latest investigation.

The company said the Accord in the South Carolina crash was recalled in April 2011.

Starting in June of 2011, the company made more than 100 attempts to reach owners of the car including mailed notices, phone calls, emails and even in-person visits, the statement said.

“Our records indicate that the recall repair was never completed,” the statement said.

The company said the driver who was killed was not the registered owner of the Accord, and Honda does not know if the driver knew about the unrepaired recall.

The car has changed ownership several times, most recently in October of 2020, Honda spokesman Chris Martin said.

The company sent the current owner a recall notice on November 17, 2020, Mr Martin said.

Honda says it has adequate supplies of replacement inflators, and it is urging people to get recall repairs done, especially of older models.

The recalls drove Japan’s Takata into bankruptcy and brought criminal charges against the company.

Eventually it was purchased by a Chinese-owned auto parts supplier.

Reality TV star Suzi Taylor and her co-accused Ali Ebrahimi have today been found not guilty in their extortion trial.

Ms Taylor, 50, and Mr Ebrahimi were accused of holding a man hostage, assaulting and demanding money from him.

They were both found not guilty in Brisbane District Court.

The former contestant on The Block was accused of holding David Butler against his will for hours, tying him up and bashing him at a Newfarm apartment in 2019, after he refused to pay Ms Taylor for escort services.

Mr Butler was caught in a number of inconsistencies about what he told police at the time, and what he said in his evidence.

Outside court, Ms Taylor's lawyer Michael Gatenby, said it was "absolutely disgraceful this woman has been locked up by something as spurious, as this outrageous complaint by the complainant".

"This man had made up a story that quite frankly wasn't true."

However, Ms Taylor remains in custody, facing charges of breaches of bail and failing to appear.