A music festival in Mount Maunganui may be an exposure site for two new Wellington Covid-19 cases in the community. In a statement shortly after 5pm this afternoon, the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced two new Covid-19 cases in…

The federal government has announced changes to its pandemic relief payment in order to reflect changing testing, isolation and close contact regulations across the country.

While a $750 payment has been available for people who have missed more than 20 hours of work because they have had to isolate after testing positive, been caring for someone with COVID-19, or is a close contact, the changes will see the amount scale depending on how much work is lost over a seven-day period.

This change will come into effect on January 18.

From next Monday, January 10, People who test positive for the virus via a rapid antigen test (RAT) will also now be able to apply for the payment, whereas previously only a PCR result was accepted.

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Some states are moving to include RAT results in official COVID-19 case numbers, with Victoria becoming the first to include them today.

"The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment ensures that eligible workers either diagnosed with COVID-19, identified as a close contact or caring for someone with COVID-19 can access the support they need," Federal Infrastructure Minister Bridget McKenzie said.

The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment will be calculated based on the number of hours of work someone has lost or is expected to lose during a quarantine period of up to seven days.

Anyone who last lost or is set to lose more than 20 hours of work will still be eligible for $750.

For people that have lost at least a day, up to 19 hours, can get $450.

A financial hardship test will also be introduced, with people who have $10,000 or more in available funds unable to claim the payments.

The scheme is being funded by both federal and state governments.

READ MORE: Queensland records 11,174 new COVID-19 cases, two men in 30s die with virus

Claims will need to be lodged through Centrelink, with a new online claim system set to be created to help make the process easier.

A man has died after falling from a cliff in Sydney's south-east.

The man, believed to be in his 20s, allegedly fell approximately 30 metres from a cliff between Coogee Beach and Gordons Bay.

Emergency services arrived at the scene and attempted CPR, however they were unable to save the man.

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Crowds of beachgoers watched as an emergency helicopter arrived at Coogee Bay Oval to help lift the man up.

Police were at the top of the cliff face keeping the public away from the scene as a rescue team in harnesses prepping to go down the cliff face.

Kiwi fashion blogger and socialite Jaime Ridge has hit out at Jacinda Ardern and the Government over what she describes as the “completely unconstitutional” MIQ system after missing out on a room while stuck in the US. The daughter…

Police are seeking information from the public to identify a man involved in a water incident at Omanu Beach today.About 3.10pm a man, believed to be in his 20s, was found unresponsive in the water and was transferred to Tauranga…

An Invercargill family is heartbroken after their two dogs went missing and say they will not stop searching until they find them.Power Farming Invercargill sales manager Brady had an appointment with a client near Progress Valley…

A National Party MP has attended a second anti-lockdown and mandate protest.Whanganui list MP Harete Hipango has posted pictures of herself on Facebook, at a rally in her electorate.But the post has been deleted after being contacted…

A sacred site harking back to one of New Zealand’s earliest epidemics is in the zone of the Northland wetlands blaze that is proving a complex and challenging battle for firefighters.The existence of Motutangi in the Kaimaumau wetlands…

South Australia has recorded another COVID-19 daily case increase, with 4274 new infections today.

The state also recorded five deaths, of people aged in their 50s to their 90s.

"We are obviously very sad with this number we need to report today," Premier Steven Marshall said.

READ MORE: Man confirmed dead in Queensland floods as heavy rain batters state

There are 164 people in hospital for COVID-19, which Mr Marshall stressed was "well within" the state's capacity to manage.

Of those, 16 are in intensive care, and two on ventilators.

Mr Marshall said about 80 per cent of intensive care patients seen in South Australia were unvaccinated.

Tests shot up by about 20 per cent, but Mr Marshall said most sites around the state still had short wait times and urged anybody with symptoms to queue up.

READ MORE: Record case numbers 'exactly what we wanted', Victorian Health Minister says

The state announced yesterday a vaccine booster shot would become mandatory for aged care and disability workers, as well as healthcare workers.

Workers in those areas have until January 29 to comply.

Mr Marshall today warned the government was "very strongly considering" extending the booster mandate, especially to the childcare and education sectors.

Food shortages are also a worry for a state, with supermarkets battling supply chain issues around the country.

Mr Marshall said the issue wasn't "acute" in South Australia yet but the government was watching interstate events carefully.

"We want to stay ahead of the game," he said.

Queensland has recorded 11,174 new COVID-19 cases and one new death overnight.

Additionally, the previously reported death of a man in his 30s at his home in the Gold Coast earlier this month has been confirmed by the coroner to be a COVID-19 case, bringing Queensland's total number of fatalities to 10 during the pandemic.

The new death reported today, of another man in his 30s from Brisbane, was also attributed to COVID-19.

There are 349 people in hospital, with 17 in intensive care and three on ventilation.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath has also said Queensland's public hospitals will suspend non-urgent elective surgery until March 1.

That will be reviewed at the end of January, and Ms D'Ath said "hopefully" its end date could be brought forward.

Queensland also today launched its online registry for positive rapid antigen test results.

People who test positive at home can now visit the government's COVID-19 website and register their positive RAT result.

"I suspect we're going to see many more numbers tomorrow and beyond," Ms D'Ath said.

She urged anybody who had tested positive with a RAT in the past 14 days to register their result.

Addressing the deaths of the two men, Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said deaths of young people due to COVID-19 were exceedingly rare.

He said it was most likely due to COVID-19 infecting the heart, causing myocarditis.

Doubts around school return

Parents are on tenterhooks awaiting the state government's decision on whether classrooms will open as scheduled for Term One.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday warned that it was possible a return to school could be delayed due to the spread of COVID-19 across the state.

She said a decision had not been made yet, but more would be known in coming days.

READ MORE: Victoria sets national COVID-19 record after RAT reporting opens

Children aged five to 12 have not yet had the chance to be vaccinated in Queensland, while the state has recorded more than 20,000 COVID-19 cases in the past two days.

The vaccination program for primary-school aged children is set to open next week.

Victoria and NSW have both set new daily records today, with Victoria's new tally the highest for any state or territory during the pandemic.

Health authorities have said the current wave is expected to be short and sharp, but that the next few weeks will be a bruising time for hospitals.

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To minimise the risk of spread, and the pressure on the health system, Ms Palaszczuk has urged Queenslanders to stay home whenever possible for at least the next six weeks.

Queensland recorded 10,953 cases of the virus yesterday, though Ms Palasczuk said the real number was "absolutely" higher, due to people testing and self-managing the virus at home.

"We are not going to stop this wave," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"But we will make sure that we are keeping as many people safe as possible."