National cabinet: Albo signs off on $750 Covid payments

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will sign off on $750 Covid payments after calling an emergency meeting of national cabinet.

Aussie workers who are forced to isolate due to Covid-19 will be guaranteed $750 payments, in a major policy reversal by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Mr Albanese came under pressure from some state leaders this week for allowing the payment to lapse over winter.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters on Friday it was “unfair” for the Commonwealth to restrict people’s capacity to work without providing them financial support.

An emergency national cabinet was brought forward to urgently discuss the measures along with rising Covid cases.

After being briefed by Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly on his return to Australia, Mr Albanese moved the meeting to Saturday.

“Received afternoon briefing from Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly on BA4/5 COVID wave,” the Prime Minister said on Friday night.

“He will report to national cabinet tomorrow morning and we will discuss proposals to ensure the vulnerable are protected over coming weeks.”

Mr Albanese also brought an emergency national cabinet meeting forward from Monday to Saturday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

During Friday’s briefing the pair discussed Australia’s ongoing response to Covid-19 and likely increases in case numbers in the coming months.

Mr Albanese had earlier said there was no need to reinstate the payments as employers were allowing staff to work from home if they were sick.

“The idea that no one is getting any sick leave at the moment, it’s just not the case,” he told reporters in Fiji.

“Good employers are recognising that people are continuing to work from home while they have Covid and are receiving, therefore, payments through that.”

ACTU secretary Sally McManus said she hoped Mr Albanese would back down on the decision.

“When you have a whole lot of people sick, the economy is sick … You can’t on the one hand say people have to stay at home and on the other hand say you are not going to get paid and you are left with nothing,” she told Nine News.

“It is abandoning people and not the Australian way, we have to fix it.”

Mr Albanese said the government would continue to tackle the pandemic based on the expert advice.

“We want to keep the economy open and the key to that is limiting the health impact on Australians,” he said.

Union leaders earlier urged Mr Albanese to reinstate the payments for workers. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

The Prime Minister met immediately with Professor Kelly on his return from the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji.

They discussed the ongoing response to Covid-19 and likely increases in case numbers in the coming months.

Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy and Health Minister Mark Butler also attended the briefing, which was said to be Mr Albanese’s “absolute priority” on returning to Australia.

Health experts have warned having two vaccinations or even previously having had the virus may provide limited immune resistance.

Australia recorded 43,488 new cases on Friday with 4602 people in hospital.

Health experts are bracing for millions of Australians to catch the virus by the end of winter.

The federal government is bracing for millions of Australians to catch the virus by the end of winter.