Australia announces free child care to keep businesses open during coronavirus outbreak

Australia will offer parents free child care to prevent workers from having to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the A$1.6 billion (£790 million) package, which would cover the next three months.

The funding, sourced from taxpayer subsidies, would allow thousands of childcare centres to stay open, Mr Morrison said on Thursday.

“We will be putting in place support arrangements to the childcare facilities, some 13,000 of them, to ensure they will be able to remain open and will be there for parents to ensure they can do what they need to do each day,” he said.

Like many countries, Australia’s financial and jobs markets have been roiled by the outbreak, prompting the government to unveil several stimulus packages.

Mr Morrison said 113,000 businesses had registered for a A$130 billion (£65.19 billion) six-month wage subsidy designed to stop spiralling unemployment and business closures.