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.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Geelong’s public hospital is one of 12 across the state that will receive staff support from the state government.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
A Crisis Payment for people receiving income supports will also return.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The government will backdate payments to July 1 for people who would have been eligible during that period.<\/p>\n
The scheme will now continue until September 30.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Workplace furloughs are also up 47 per cent, with 10,000 staff off work across the health system earlier this month.<\/p>\n
On Monday, Barwon Health chief executive officer Frances Diver assured the community that the local health system still had capacity to manage COVID infections.<\/p>\n
It will also continue elective surgery, but Ms Diver said the service would assess its capacity daily.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n