The federal government is reportedly reversing course and looks set to maintain the $750 pandemic isolation payment after earlier announcing it was ending.
Leaders attend a national cabinet meeting at Parliament House in Canberra on 17 June 2022. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has brought forward this month's meeting by two days amid concern about the rise in COVID-19 cases.
Australians are showing up for their booster vaccines before an expected spike in COVID-19 cases across the country. "Generally the government has extended the measures we continue to need because the pandemic is still here and affecting us. "We know the COVID pandemic is not over and people should continue to act in accordance with the health advice," Mr Albanese said."We want to keep the economy open and the key to that is limiting the health impact on Australians," he said.
As of Thursday, nearly 14 million people had received three or more COVID-19 vaccine doses, while almost three million people had received four or more. Greens leader Adam Bandt urged Mr Albanese to extend the payments as well as the free rapid test program for concession card holders.
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