Prime Minister Scott Morrison hoped nine-year-old Charlise Mutten would be found alive despite the discovery of human remains in a barrel near the Blue Mountains being identified as the missing girl. Asked about the case at a press conference on Wednesday morning, Mr Morrison said he had been following the case 'privately'. 'My thoughts and prayers frankly are with the family today and that little girl,' Mr Morrison responded. 'And I hope she's alright. I really do. I'm sure we all do. Let's hope that that has a good ending.' At the end of the answer Mr Morrison briefly noted that he had not been updated on the case before the press conference. Towards the end of the press conference Mr Morrison was informed that the body of Charlise had been found. 'I'm sorry. I hadn't seen that before I came out today. That is devastating news,' a shaken Mr Morrison responded. 'I'm very sorry that... since early this morning, I've been engaged in other issues, as I'm sure you can imagine. 'Having heard that news, that's... It's just... devastating.' Asked about the case of Charlise Mutten at a press conference on Wednesday morning, Mr Morrison said he had been following the case 'privately' and hoped the girl would be found alive but after being told her remains had been found, Mr Morrison choked up and said the news was 'devastating' 'I'm sorry. I hadn't seen that before I came out today. That is devastating news,' a shaken Mr Morrison responded Earlier Mr Morrison acknowledged that Australians had experienced 'a frustrating summer' as the Omicron variant has swept the nation as he announced a new program to bring foreign students and backpackers back to Australia. Mr Morrison said Omicron has caused 'great disruption' all around the world and that Australians must respect Omicron 'but not fear it'. 'You have seen queues, you have seen rising cases, you have seen pressures on hospital systems, you have seen disruption of supply chains, you have seen shortages of tests, you have seen all of these in all of these countries all around the world.' 'That is what Omicron has brought.' The prime minister announced a scheme to rebate the $630 fee for a visa application by about 150,000 foreign students and for around 23,500 backpackers, as the government seeks to boost workforce numbers. 'We must respect it with sensible, balanced rules, sensible precautions, but at the same time, not shutting Australia away, not locking ourselves up, not destroying people's livelihoods and bringing our society to a halt.' 'We understand the great concerns particularly in the early stage of Omicron several weeks ago when we knew it was contagious, but we didn't quite know then just how severe it could be,' Mr Morrison admitted. 'Good news - yes, it is much more contagious, we do know that, but the good news is that it's far less severe, some 75 per cent less severe which has given us more options once we could have greater certainty about its severity impact.' The prime minister detailed his government's response to the outbreak in a wide range of areas, including health care, RATs, supply chains and support for those on pandemic leave. Mr Morrison has urged backpackers to 'come on down' to Australia, saying that for the next 12 weeks travellers would have their visa application fee rebated Mr Morrison urged backpackers to 'come on down' to Australia, saying that for the next 12 weeks travellers would have their visa application fee rebated. 'We want you to come to Australia and enjoy a holiday here in Australia, move all the way around the country, and the same time join our workforce and help us in our agricultural sector, in our hospitality sector, and so many of the other parts of the economy that rely on that labour,' Mr Morrison said. 'We'll be supporting that with a $3 million that will be giving to Tourism Australia to support a marketing program to target backpackers and students to get them out.' For the next eight weeks from today, foreign students will also be able to recoup their visa application fee. The government will also relax the '20-hour rule' for student visas, allowing them to work more than 20 hours a week despite their status as students. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the scheme would cost taxpayers $55 million. Mr Morrison said the return of backpackers to Australia had been 'slower' than the return of foreign students. International passengers including foreign students arrive back in Australia after the border reopened on December 15. Students will have working restrictions eased and visa application fees rebated to encourage their return to Australia 'We also want them to come here and be able to be filling some of these critical workforce shortages, particularly those who are working and being trained in healthcare, aged care, those types of sectors, that will be incredibly helpful,' he said. Mr Morrison defended his government's performance in securing rapid antigen tests, telling reporters comments were being made 'with hindsight, rather than foresight'. 'When it comes to providing the tests that we are responsible to provide, states and territories have always had the responsibility in providing those tests in their states, just like the PCR test,' Mr Morrison said. The prime minister said Omicron 'changed everything' in terms of the need for RATs. 'The advice was that we can stay with the PCR test and those PCR tests were able to be done in the earlier days of the virus,' he said. 'Rapid antigen tests were not being widely used in Australia for pretty much all of the pandemic. Up until we hit December and Omicron arrives.' Mr Morrison defended his comments on rogue Queensland MP George Christensen, who said yesterday that parents should not get their children vaccinated against Covid-19. I don't think I could have been any clearer yesterday, don't listen to him,' Mr Morrison said. 'He is not a doctor, he can't tell you what to do with vaccines. 'Australia is a free country, you can't go around locking people up for what they say as Australians.' Mr Morrison said he could not guarantee a uniform approach to the return of school students for 2022 given education was a state responsibility, but said national cabinet will try to 'harmonise' return-to-school arrangements. 'If schools don't open and stay open, that's another 5 per cent of your workforce that gets taken out and that has a very serious impact,' he said. The prime minister said he will receive an update on the capacity of state hospitals to handle the current Omicron outbreak at a national cabinet meeting tomorrow, after Victoria announced a 'code brown' for its strained hospital system yesterday. All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility