As a new wave of Omicron-driven illnesses sweeps the nation, Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese announced on Saturday that support payments for casual workers who are placed in quarantine owing to Covid-19 will be reinstated.
Authorities have warned that a significant viral outbreak affecting Australia that is being driven by the extremely contagious novel Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 could push more people into hospitals and put further burden on the healthcare system.
After a quick discussion with state officials, Albanese told reporters, “I want to make sure that people aren’t left behind, that vulnerable people are looked after.”
“No one (should be) forced to make the unfavorable decision of being unable to isolate enough without losing an income and without being placed in a very challenging circumstance.”
The leave payments, which had expired on June 30 and had allowed employees to receive up to A$750 ($510) for each seven-day quarantine period, will be reinstated and extended through September 30, according to Albanese.
According to Albanese, the extension would cost taxpayers just under $800 million, which will be split equally between the federal and state governments. People may start applying on July 20.
According to official data, the government has paid out about A $13 billion ($8.8 billion) in pandemic benefits to 2.4 million employees as of the end of last year, with an estimated A$300 billion in total federal support since the pandemic started.
Authorities warned people to cover their faces indoors and to get their booster injections as soon as possible as they prepared for “millions” of new cases in the coming weeks due to the flu and the Covid-19 virus’s co-circulation in Australia, which is experiencing a harsh winter.
According to Albanese, the current wave will probably peak in August, and health experts have compared the new varieties’ infection rate to that of the measles.
With more than 4,600 patients in hospitals across Australia, hospital admissions have already eclipsed records in a number of states. Australia has reported fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths than many other nations, with 8.7 million cases and 10,549 deaths total since the pandemic started.
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