Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development and Employment): Yesterday, along with Minister Wood, I announced a new Short-Term Absence Payment. This initiative means that from today, businesses whose workers need to stay at home while they await a COVID-19 test result can contact the Ministry of Social Development and apply for a one-off $350 payment to help pay that staff member if that are unable to work from home. Testing for COVID-19 remains a critical ongoing element in our elimination strategy. This payment is designed to reduce the financial pressure on businesses and encourage them to continue their valuable role in keeping COVID-19 in check. 