PM ushers Australians to support payment
Dominic Giannini |
The prime minister has encouraged Australians to check their eligibility for the pandemic leave disaster payment as tens of thousands of new infections are recorded every day.
Scott Morrison said financial measures are already in place for people who are forced to quarantine because of a state government requirement.
The payment is worth $750 for each seven day period a person has been told to self-isolate or quarantine.
“It’s been an important tool that we’ve had … and large numbers of Australians have done that,” Mr Morrison said.
“I encourage people to become familiar with the supports that are in place. The support is already there for those who are in that situation where they’re forced to isolate.”
The advice came amid soaring case numbers in NSW and Victoria, which recorded just under 35,000 and 22,000 new infections respectively on Thursday.
There were also 10,332 new infections in Queensland, 3070 in SA, 992 in the ACT, 751 in Tasmania, 256 in the NT and nine in WA.
Labor health spokesman Mark Butler said Mr Morrison didn’t have a plan to support businesses and primary care industries.
“The speed with which this fourth wave has exploded around Australia has meant that businesses, health care settings, childcare centres are having to close or wind back their workforces,” he said.
“There’s no plan coming out of Canberra from Scott Morrison about how to support Australia’s businesses, the healthcare sector, the childcare sector which has reported hundreds of centres having to close, through this next few weeks.”
AAP