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Australians could need vaccination passports to travel interstate: PM

Australians might one day need a vaccination passport to travel across state borders, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison declaring "all of those arrangements will have to be put in place".

In an interview with 9News political editor Chris Uhlmann on the two-year anniversary of his election, Mr Morrison said proof of vaccination for domestic travel would require the agreement of the states and territories, saying it's them "who actually prevent Australians moving from one state to another consistent with their public health orders".

"Those public health orders are the instrument that is used legally to prevent Australians moving from one state to another," Mr Morrison said.

Mr Morrison said the reopening of borders and other travel bubbles would be a "gradual process".

A year since the pandemic hit, Mr Morrison said his strategy to reopen international borders "is one step at a time and a risk that Australia can manage safely", indicating he was open to quarantine at home but "it's not something that's doable yet".

The Budget papers made an assumption international borders would remain closed until mid-next year.

Mr Morrison described the reopening as "a gradual process".

"It's not closed one day, open the next," Mr Morrison said.

"It will be tempered by the medical advice at every step."

READ MORE: Second Australian dies in India after contracting COVID-19

Chris Uhlmann sits down with Scott Morrison.

Phases would include Australians moving more freely around Australia, possibly under vaccination passports, then Australians being able to travel overseas if they have been vaccinated and potentially quarantine at home.

Mr Morrison said about the same time, Australians who had received "approved" vaccinations overseas could return safely.

Watch the full interview in the player above.

India reports record day of virus deaths as cases level off

India’s total virus cases since the pandemic began swept past 25 million as the country registered more than 260,000 new cases and a record 4,329 fatalities in the past 24 hours.

The numbers continue a trend of falling cases after infections dipped below 300,000 for the first time in weeks on Monday. Active cases in the country also decreased by more than 165,000 on Tuesday — the biggest dip in weeks.

But deaths have continued to rise and hospitals are still swamped by patients.

READ MORE: Father becomes second Australian to die of COVID-19 in India

India has recorded nearly 280,000 virus deaths since the pandemic began. Experts warn that both the number of deaths and total reported cases are likely vast undercounts.

Infections in India have surged since February in a disastrous turn blamed on more contagious variants as well as government decisions to allow massive crowds to gather for religious festivals and political rallies.

In the last month, cases have more than tripled and reported deaths have gone up six times — but testing has only increased by 1.6 times, according to Bhramar Mukherjee, a biostatistician at the University of Michigan tracking India's battle with the virus. With infections outrunning testing capabilities, there are fears that many cases are going undetected.

Experts also say India has lagged behind in doing the testing needed to track and better understand a worrisome virus variant first detected in the country.

On Monday, the Health Ministry said 17 new labs will be brought online to help track variants.

READ MORE: Qantas to investigate the accuracy of COVID-19 tests in India

India COVIDA man wearing personal protective equipment prays in front of the burning funeral pyre of his father who died of COVID-19, at a crematorium in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, May 11, 2021.

The variant first identified in India has prompted global concern — most notably in Britain, where it has more than doubled in a week, defying a sharp nationwide downward trend in infections.

Meanwhile, ever since India opened up vaccinations to all adults this month, the pace of administering shots has plunged. Many states have said they don't have enough stock to give out.

The southern state of Karnataka, for example, has temporarily halted its drive to inoculate those aged between 18 and 44 at government-run centers due to a shortage of doses.