Prime Minister announces increase to disaster support payment.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced new financial support for workers after a four-week lockdown extension in Greater Sydney was confirmed by NSW Government.
People in NSW who have lost more than 20 hours of work will get an increase of $150 a week, which takes them to $750 - the same as JobKeeper when it was initially introduced.
Those who have lost fewer than 20 hours will receive an extra $75 a week, taking them to $450 a week.
The Prime Minister added: "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."
Sydney facing four week lockdown extension.
The Greater Sydney lockdown is expected to be extended four more weeks as NSW government authorities adjust some coronavirus restrictions for construction and other sectors.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and her crisis cabinet met on Tuesday to put together a roadmap out of the health emergency that has engulfed Sydney and surrounding regions since late June.
But cabinet opted to extend the lockdown for four weeks, multiple media outlets have reported, which will be a blow for already struggling businesses.
Around the world.
- Tokyo has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 infections in a day since the pandemic began amid reports authorities have asked hospitals to prepare more beds for patients.
The Olympic host city's 2,848 COVID-19 infections on Tuesday threatens to further erode support for Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and spells trouble for the Games, as many Japanese fear the influx of athletes and officials for the event could add to the surge.
- The United Kingdom has reported its highest number of deaths and people in hospital with coronavirus since March, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging caution despite a week of lower reported numbers of infection.
- Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, 18, has received the first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. In Sweden, about 77 per cent of all adults have received at least one jab.
- Instagram has introduced new features to protect young users including limiting access to the accounts of children, defaulting their accounts to private and limiting the ways advertisers can target them.
- With AAP
Feature image: Joel Carrett-Pool/Getty/Wally Skalij /Los Angeles Times/Wang Jingqiang/Xinhua.