Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced a $300 hardship payment so people can self-isolate while waiting for their COVID-19 test results, after it was revealed more than half of Victorians went back to work with their results still pending.
The payment will go to people who don’t have sick leave to fall back on and otherwise can’t afford a day or two off.
“What we’ve got at the moment is people who feel unwell, but don’t want to go and get tested quick enough because they’re fearful of not being able to go to work,” Andrews told reporters.
“This $300 payment will go a long way to supporting those families, and having them make much better choices. If you’re sick, get tested quick and then isolate until you get a test result.
“This is about trying to make sure being an earner doesn’t compromise or see you making bad choices for every other family across our state so this ensures that people are no worse off.”
To be eligible for the payment, all you have to do is provide a payslip to prove that you’re actually going to be off work. If your job doesn’t give you payslips, then a statutory declaration should be fine.
Andrews said the state government’s trying to make the whole process work “as simply and as easily as possible,” adding that people shouldn’t fret about whether or not they have the right paperwork handy.
The $300 comes in addition to the previously-announced $1,500 payment, which only applied to people who tested positive and therefore had to stay off work much longer.
So now there’s really no excuse. Please, stay the fuck home until you test negative.
