Anthony Albanese backflips on$750 Covid payment plan

Australians will be able to claim Covid disaster payments throughout the winter after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the program will be extended.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backflipped on Covid disaster payments and will reintroduce $750 payments for isolating workers.

The payments will continue until September 30.

Mr Albanese said the states and territories agreed to cover half the bill for the disaster payments.

“This is a fair way going forward, all of the states and territories as well as the Commonwealth understand emergency payments are just that – they can’t continue forever,” he said.

The commonwealth will continue to meet every two to three weeks with the states in National Cabinet until at least September.

The Prime Minister said National Cabinet agreed to push out more health messaging about wearing masks indoors and working from home.

“The impact of the flu during this season has also placed pressure on the health system, the good news there is the impact of the flu is much passed it’s peak.”

Mr Albanese denied backflipping, blaming the former government for putting an end date on the pandemic leave disaster payments.

Early government costings have the extension of the program at $780 million to be split between the state and federal governments.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly updated national cabinet on the new Covid variant and delivered a “positive report” on an increase in booster shot take up.

It comes after mounting pressure from state leaders, including NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.

“I think it is unfair that when the state imposes on people that restrict their liberty and their capacity to work for the government to not provide financial support and that’s the issue,” he said on Friday.

More to come.