Leave payments back, hospital staff boosted

THE federal government has reinstated COVID-19 sick pay following a snap national cabinet meeting on the weekend as health systems face mounting pressure from a winter wave of infection.

Meanwhile, Geelong’s public hospital is one of 12 across the state that will receive staff support from the state government.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Saturday that Australians could again claim Pandemic Leave Disaster Payments of up to $750 if they miss work due to quarantine or self-isolation.

A Crisis Payment for people receiving income supports will also return.

Payments were due to restart yesterday (Wednesday, July 20) after ending on June 30 and Mr Albanese had resisted calls earlier this month to bring back the measure.

The government will backdate payments to July 1 for people who would have been eligible during that period.

The scheme will now continue until September 30.

The decision came after first ministers moved forward a national cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday this week amid increasing concern about infections and new virus variants.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also announced on Saturday that the state will deploy offload nurses for ambulances, triage doctors and discharge co-ordinators at Victoria’s major hospitals, including University Hospital Geelong.

The state government said the number of Victorians in hospital with COVID-19 had doubled from June 22 to Saturday, with a 60-per-cent jump in intensive care admissions.

Workplace furloughs are also up 47 per cent, with 10,000 staff off work across the health system earlier this month.

On Monday, Barwon Health chief executive officer Frances Driver assured the community that the local health system still had capacity to manage COVID infections.

It will also continue elective surgery, but Ms Diver said the service would assess its capacity daily.