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Changes to JobKeeper acknowledge rollercoaster of restrictions for business
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is currently announcing changes to the JobKeeper program, reported earlier this morning.
You can read a breakdown of the changes here. Two of the big ones are:
- Employers only have to show a fall in turnover in the quarter to the end of September, compared to the same period last year
- New staff will be able to receive the payment, provided they were on their employer's books from July 1
Mr Frydenberg said these changes are because some businesses did well as the economy opened up in May – hiring new staff and increasing their turnover – however they were then later hit by the Victorian restrictions.
"The Morrison government is pulling out all stops, doing whatever we can to support Australians through this crisis to maintain that formal connection between employers and employees to help businesses and workers get to the other side," he said.
The new eligibility criteria applies to businesses across the country, not just in Victoria, although Mr Frydenberg said "there certainly will be a much larger number of Victorian businesses and workers who will now benefit".
Stage four clarity for Melbourne physios
By Rachael Dexter
There seems to have been some clarity emerge overnight for how physiotherapists will operate under stage four lockdown in Melbourne.
The Australian Physiotherapy Association, the peak industry body for physios, wrote to its members last night stating that Melbourne-based physiotherapists could operate without GP referrals, but that face-to-face appointments must only be for the severe cases.
In the email, seen by The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, the APA said it was “good news”.
“Melbourne based physiotherapists do not need patients to seek GP/medical referrals to make an appointment during Stage 4 restrictions, as was outlined in the initial release of workplace restrictions.
“While this is good news, we need to remember we are in a State of Disaster, and our primary goal must be to save lives.“We cannot operate ‘business as usual’ and routine treatment is not permitted,” the email reads.
“Our face-to-face care of patients must only occur in if the absence or delay of such care would result in a significant change or deterioration in the patient’s functional independence that would necessitate an escalation of care.”
The letter states that physios will need to individually make the call on whether a patient needs a face-to-face appointment or not.
“We urge you to make use of telehealth wherever possible, or delay appointment until such time that face-to-face options are safer.”
WATCH: Treasurer outlines changes to JobKeeper
Speaking of face masks...
Thanks to Casey Briggs at the ABC for drawing our attention to this TikTok from the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
This isn't Dr Jonathan's first TikTok appearance, although his video last month was less of a bop.
NSW Health Minister denies state does not have enough masks
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has stressed that NSW does have enough masks in its stockpile, after NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay made comments to the contrary yesterday.
Mr Hazzard and Ms McKay had a verbal altercation in NSW Parliament yesterday, with Mr Hazzard telling Ms McKay she was being "a complete pork chop" by claiming he said NSW did not have enough face masks in an appearance on 2GB on Thursday morning.
Mr Hazzard had said he had instead said mandating face masks for people to wear unnecessarily would put undue pressure on the market. He then said, in Parliament, he would like for Ms McKay to wear one.
Speaking on 2GB this morning, Mr Hazzard said he was "a bit frustrated" that his comments had been taken out of context, but apologised for his language towards Ms McKay.
In a joint appearance, Mr Hazzard stressed that his concerns were about possible pressure on the private market for masks if they were mandated for use all the time without reason, noting that NSW actually had nearly 90 million surgical masks in its medical stockpile.
However, Ms McKay said she would not apologise for her comments, and denied she had taken his comments out of context.
Labor calls for ‘comprehensive jobs plan’
By Rachael Dexter
“We’ve been saying for some time that the deterioration of the economy warrants the government having a look at the JobKeeper changes that they made only a couple of weeks ago [and] they’ve done that now,” said Mr Chalmers said on ABC Radio National’s Breakfast program this morning.
“It’s a step in the right directions but we still have some concerns that other elements of the JobKeeper changes are still in place and that they might come at the worst time for a lot of these workers and businesses.
“And we still remained concerned that a lot of people are still left out of JobKeeper [such as] casual workers, people in aviation, arts and entertainment.”
The changes to JobKeeper announced last night have been costed at around $15 billion, after the government conceded the economy is in worse state than what was anticipated. Mr Chalmers said the federal government should use the opportunity to look at all its COVID-19 economic programs, not solely JobKeeper.
“Changing one part of the eligibility for one program is not a comprehensive jobs plan,” he said.
“We really desperately need a jobs plan from the government.”
When asked what a jobs plan would look like, the shadow treasurer pointed to longer term measures than JobKeeper and JobSeeker such as investing in social housing, energy policy and skills and training.
Facebook employees to work from home until July, get $1380 for home offices
Facebook will allow employees to work from home until July 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak and will give them $US1000 ($1380) for home office needs, a spokeswoman for the social media giant said on Thursday (US time).
The company joins other big technology firms that have taken similar steps recently.
Facebook will allow employees to work from home until July 2021 due to the coronavirus outbreakCredit:AP
Late in July, Alphabet's Google said it would allow employees who do not need to be in the office to work from home until the end of June 2021, while Twitter had proposed remote work indefinitely for some of its employees.
"Based on guidance from health and government experts, as well as decisions drawn from our internal discussions about these matters, we are allowing employees to continue voluntarily working from home until July 2021", a Facebook spokeswoman said in an emailed statement.
"In addition, we are giving employees an additional [US] $1000 for home office needs."
Reuters
Sydney council wants greater powers to enforce COVID rules
By Lucy Rickard
Khal Asfour, mayor of Sydney’s Canterbury Bankstown council, wants the government to give councils more powers to enforce COVID rules in their local areas.
Mr Asfour told the Today show that the council was working hard to educate its residents on social distancing and practicing proper hygiene but said they could be doing more.
“As a council we're working really hard. We're trying our best, but it's really hard for councils across NSW. We don't have any powers,” he said.
“We can't tell people to move on. We can't fine people. We can't shut businesses down because of COVID-related issues. That's a matter for the police and we're working with the police to make sure that any trouble, any signs of people disobeying the health order ... and making sure that the law is put on them, because we don't want this to grow.”
Yesterday, a number of venues in the city’s south-west were put on alert after a man in his 20s, who was a close contact of a person in the Mounties Club cluster, visited three Sydney venues while infectious.
On August 1, the man visited Penrith Plaza between 10.30 and noon, Master Hot Pot in Canley Vale between 1pm and 2pm and BBQ City Buffet in Bankstown between 7pm and 8.30pm.
“It is a massive blow. It's a big challenge, this pandemic. We can't be complacent. We need to not drop our guard and we're doing the best we can,” Mr Asfour said.
“I'd like some more powers because we want people to stay safe, and there are pockets of people everywhere, unfortunately, not listening to the public health order … and we need to make sure that they can't do that.
“We can't shut businesses down if they're not having the right practices in place. So if the government wants to give councils more powers in NSW, yeah, we'll take them but they gotta back it up with resources.”
Thumbs down for hydroxychloroquine from government virus taskforce
By Liam Mannix
Hydroxychloroquine should not be used to treat or prevent coronavirus, the federal government’s official COVID-19 evidence taskforce has recommended.
The strong recommendations, made on the basis of multiple studies of thousands of people, should largely bring to an end the strange, twisting saga of a little-known rheumatoid arthritis drug that shot to fame as a supposed miracle cure for COVID-19.
US President Donald Trump told reporters that he was taking zinc and hydroxychloroquine on May 18. Credit:AP
US President Donald Trump called hydroxychloroquine a "game changer" in March and said he had been taking it. In April, mining magnate Clive Palmer donated nearly 33 million doses of the drug to help fight the virus in Australia, calling it the "best hope" for patients with COVID-19.
But since then, the tide of scientific opinion has turned against the drug. Most major Australian hydroxychloroquine trials have now shut down.
PM needs to take responsibility: Labor
By Lucy Rickard
Deputy Opposition Leader Richard Marles has defended the actions of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews through the pandemic, telling the Today show that he wants to see the same leadership from Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
“Daniel Andrews is governing through the most appalling of circumstances, but he's standing up every day. He's taking the heat,” Mr Marles said.
Deputy Opposition Leader Richard Marles has defended the actions of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews through the pandemic.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen
“He established a judicial inquiry into the situation here almost instantaneously and he's made this clear that at the end of the day he will take responsibility as the Premier of Victoria.
“Now, that's leadership, and in a really tough time, and what we hear from the Federal Government is - I think we've heard it this morning - is a pretty clear attempt to say "this is all Victoria's problems, it's got nothing to do with us."
“I don't hear the Prime Minister standing up every day and taking the kind of responsibility that we're seeing being taken by Daniel Andrews in relation to aged care, for example. This disease has got in there, and we should be hearing from the Prime Minister in similar terms.”
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2020-08-06 22:55:00Z
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