Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced the new scheme which is very similar to last year's JobKeeper program.
"We will be further increasing the levels of support provided to individuals through the COVID disaster payment right across the state of New South Wales. We will be increasing from next week the maximum payment of $600 to $750 and we will be increasing the payment for less than 20 hours from $375 to $450," he said.
"In addition to that, we will be extending support to those who are on welfare payments and they will be able to receive a payment if they have lost more than eight hours of $200."
He added, this would be a more targeted approach than previous measures.
"What we are doing now is faster, it is more effective, it is more targeted, it is getting help where it is needed, far more quickly," he said.
"We are not dealing with a pandemic outbreak across the whole country. When we did JobKeeper, we had to employ it across the whole country. All at once."
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Updates
Pubs and clubs are backing the Morrison government's new payment scheme saying it will keep them afloat during lockdown.
Australian Hotel Association NSW CEO John Whelan said the $150 increase to the disaster payment will make a difference to those who need it.
“Today’s changes to JobSaver are desperately needed as many hotels were ineligible for support under the earlier scheme,” he Whelan said.
“All hoteliers are really struggling to keep their businesses – and the livelihoods of their thousands of staff – afloat and this will help many,” Mr Whelan said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there had been almost $80 million paid out to families in Victoria.
"In Victoria, I can also confirm that 143,855 claims have been made in Victoria. That is 140,998 individuals with, $78.899 million that have been provided very promptly at the end of that lockdown already in Victoria.
"If you are in Victoria you will still receive your second payment at the end of this week."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced new financial support for those doing it tough in Sydney.
"We will be further increasing the levels of support provided to individuals through the COVID disaster payment right across the state of New South Wales. We will be increasing from next week the maximum payment of $600 to $750 and we will be increasing the payment for less than 20 hours from $375 to $450," he said.
"In addition to that, we will be extending support to those who are on welfare payments and they will be able to receive a payment if they have lost more than eight hours of $200."
This will come into effect from Thursday week.
He is providing an update on the nation's Covid response.
Ariarne Titmus has clinched another gold at the Olympics.
For all the latest on the Aussies competing overseas check out our live blog.
A mum in the United States is urging people to get vaccinated after her 28-year-old son who believed covid was a hoax died of the virus.
Alabama woman Christy Carpenter and her adult children Cayla and Curt Carpenter were diagnosed with coronavirus on March 5.
The family, who had decided not to get the vaccine because of fears over how “quickly” it had been produced, at first only experienced mild covid symptoms.
“It took years to create other vaccines, and the coronavirus vaccine was created very quickly,” Christy told The Washington Post.
Community sporting events will go ahead as planned for this weekend despite a new Covid case.
Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton said as long as they fit within the guidelines the games could go ahead.
Victoria's Chief Health Officer Professor Brett Sutton has said contact tracing for the mystery case is underway.
"Everyone who worked with him on either of those two shifts (will be in isolation), so there will be a couple of dozen (people)," he said.
"As I would say to every Victorian is you are symptomatic go and get tested and isolate until you get a negative result.
"As the minister had said the risk to individuals coming through (the testing clinic) is extremely low."
Health Minister Martin Foley has revealed that another Covid case had been found today – and it had been infectious in the community.
Eight cases had already been announced by the state’s health department. None of these had been infectious while in the community.
Mr Foley said the new case had worked at the Moonee Valley Racecourse and had been infectious in the community for two days.
The positive test was found on Tuesday and contact tracing is underway.
