Australia will reinstate support payments for casual workers who have to quarantine due to COVID\u002D19, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Australia is battling a major virus outbreak driven by the highly transmissible new Omicron subvariants, BA.4 and BA.5, with authorities warning it could lead to more people ending up in hospitals and further straining the health system.
“No one faced with the unenviable choice of not being able to isolate properly without losing an income and without being put in a situation that is very difficult.” The extension will cost taxpayers just under A$800 million, to be shared equally between the federal and state governments, Albanese said. People can apply from July 20.
Authorities urged people to wear masks indoors and get their booster shots soon as they brace for “millions” of new cases over the coming weeks with Australia confronting a tough winter amid the co-circulation of both COVID-19 and the flu virus.