Australia

The halt in tourism caused by border closures, cuts to remittances and seasonal worker programmes and other effects of Covid-19 have been devastating for many Pacific economies.

The funding will be redirected from the existing aid programme, and the government says it will provide respite for Pacific governments.

A fifth of the money will go to Papua New Guinea, with the rest to be shared among nine other countries.

The elaphrosaur, whose name means "light-footed lizard", was related to the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Velociraptor.

The five-centimetre (two-inch) vertebrae fossil was discovered during a dig near Cape Otway in Victoria in 2015.

It is the first elaphrosaur bone ever to be found in Australia.

The fossil was discovered by volunteer Jessica Parker, who was taking part in an annual dig led by Melbourne Museum.

The easing of quarantine measures in New South Wales (NSW) state comes just a day after the national statistics office reported unprecedented record high job losses and Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned that worse was still to come.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian cautioned people to remain vigilant and maintain social distancing as restaurants, public pools and other businesses reopen under the proviso they limit customers to 10 at any one time.

Australia has committed to providing up to AUD$1.8 million.

The Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, HE Mr Adrian Morrison and Tonga’s Minister of Health, Hon. Dr ‘Amelia Afuha’amango Tu’ipulotu, signed the amended Tonga Health Systems Support Program in extending the program to December 2021.

The amount provides around $2.7 million pa’anga to continue this critical work for the next financial year, said the High Commissioner.

It came as the number of cases connected to an abattoir in Melbourne's north grew again.

The current stage of restrictions took effect this morning and allows Victorians to host up to five visitors in their homes and gather outside in groups of 10, provided distancing is maintained.

With seven new cases recorded overnight, the total tally of Victoria's Covid-19 cases has risen to 1514 - a net increase of five after two cases were reclassified to other states' counts.

But there may be some good from that with officials believing the havoc caused by COVID-19 could lead to a greater alignment of the NRL and Super League competitions to create a genuine international window.

With State of Origin to be played after the October 25 NRL grand final and Super League to run possibly even later into the year, it is widely accepted that the first Kangaroo tour since 2003 will be scrapped.

The equipment arrived in the country yesterday (Thursday).

Tonga is one of twelve Pacific island countries receiving GeneXpert testing equipment provided by the World Health Organization, which over the coming months will allow samples to be tested in-country – in some for the first time. The GeneXpert testing system provides reliable results within 45 minutes.

George Faktaufon said Pacific airlines are not going to be able to count on national government support for handouts to keep them afloat, and the clock is already ticking for some airlines.

"It's very hard to plan for something that you are not quite sure when it's going to happen, because we have always planned for something that is certain, but the plan is depending on when Australia and New Zealand are opening up," he said.

The squad flew out from Auckland yesterday after getting clearance to resume training ahead of a resumption of the competition at the end of the month.

They were without two players, hooker Nathaniel Roache, who felt unwell on the morning of departure and centre David Fusitu'a, who was given permission to delay his departure on compassionate grounds.

The players said their farewells as they were dropped off at Auckland airport.

Thirteen new cases were recorded in Victoria today, health officials said, with six of the cases related to an infections cluster at a meat processing facility in Melbourne.

"What I'm worried about is the unknown unknowns," Victoria's Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said at a televised briefing, urging more people to get tested.

"We want to make sure that if we have cases that are positive in the community we can identify those individuals... this is how we are going to defeat the virus."