Labor to consider new national Covid strategy to reduce deaths

In his speech at the National Press Club, the Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, said $750m would be saved by cutting back grants programs. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Anthony Albanese has flagged a new national strategy to minimise Covid-related deaths if he wins Saturday’s election, and says looming opposition election costings will book a $750m saving from paring back grants programs.

The Labor leader’s signal of a public health reboot during an appearance at the National Press Club on Wednesday followed Scott Morrison declaring earlier in the day the country needed to move on from the pandemic despite Australia recording 5,633 deaths this year and battling the highest Covid transmission rates per capita in the world.