CANBERRA – The Australian government has ruled out further financial support for states under coronavirus lockdown, reported the Xinhua news agency.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has rebuffed pleas for help from the Victorian government, saying its snap seven-day lockdown in response to a Covid-19 cluster in Melbourne does not warrant the revival of the JobKeeper payment scheme.
“This is not the first lockdown post-JobKeeper, and extra support from the federal government was not required in those cases,” he told Nine Entertainment newspapers, referencing similar, shorter lockdowns in Western Australia and Queensland earlier this year.
“We continue to provide substantial support to the Victorian community, but this is a short lockdown, not an extended lockdown, and the measures that we put in place in the budget will continue to support the Victorian economy during this challenging period.”
The JobKeeper scheme, which was introduced to stimulate the economy and keep Australians employed amid the nationwide lockdown, ended in March.
According to Victorian Treasury estimates, the state’s seven-day lockdown will cost businesses some A$700 million (RM2.2 billion).
The state’s acting prime minister, James Merlino, yesterday said he is “beyond disappointed” by the federal government’s decision not to give further aid, adding that it is “disgraceful”.
As of yesterday afternoon, there were 30,098 Covid-19 infections in Australia, with the number of local and imported cases in the last 24 hours at zero and nine, respectively, said the Health Department.
It said another five cases are under investigation.
There are 102 active cases nationwide, with local transmissions in the last week numbering 31. – Bernama, May 31, 2021
