National Cabinet: Scott Morrison updates Covid-19 rapid tests being made free
Scott Morrison has revealed who will get a rapid antigen test for free. It comes as major changes have been made to other testing rules.
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Rapid antigen tests will be made free for all concession card holders with the kits to be handed out via pharmacies, national cabinet has decided.
Concession card holders will be able to access up to ten tests over a three month period for free.
The costs will be split between the Commonwealth and the states.
It is understood Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, teaming up with Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein, pushed for the distribution system to be much simpler than what Prime Minister Scott Morrison had originally proposed.
“If you are symptomatic or a close contact and you are a concession card holder ... do not go to the pharmacy. Go to the testing centre. We don’t want people who are symptomatic or who are close contacts and may be carrying the virus going into pharmacies,” he said.
The concessional free tests are being provided to the following groups, those who have a Commonwealth seniors health card, a healthcare card, a low income card, a pension concession card, DVA Gold card or a DVA white card.
This will be put in place in the next fortnight.
Mr Morrison also confirmed national cabinet had agreed that all jurisdictions will begin moving away from the need for interstate hotspot arrivals to show a negative rapid antigen test result. Queensland will do this when 90 per cent of the adult population has been double vaccinated.
He also said the commonwealth will be providing 10 million RATs to states and territories to be used as both self testing, as well as point of care testing.
To stop price gouging on RATs, Mr Morrison said he is using the Biosecurity Act to include rapid antigen tests so those who are selling a rapid antigen test for more than 120 per cent above what one has paid to supply it, then there will be in breach of that regulation which carries a penalty of $66,000 and up to five years in jail.
Mr Morrison also announced a raft major changes to testing which include:
*If a person is a close contact and tests postitive on a rapid antigen test, they do not need to get a PCR test to confirm a positive rapid antigen test result.
“You will find yourself in the next couple of weeks they will be transitioning where you either get a rapid antigen test provided at that site and you will get your result there and then, within 15 minutes. You won’t have to wait for the test results to come back from the lab,” he said.
“This will take the pressure off the pathology labs which are out there, which will speed up the test results for PCR tests. They are needed for those who are essential to get PCR tests. “We are looking to move the queues quicker, moving to get results quicker and for those having their rapid antigen tests at a testing centre, it means they... If they have a negative test, they can go home and get on with their life.”
*The seven-day rolling test that is required for truck drivers will be removed
*People seeking treatment at hospitals no longer need to get a PCR Covid-19 test prior to entry.
*They discourage the requirement for people to have tests before receiving even private treatment, even in a surgery where a person is not symptomatic and is not a close contact.
*There is no requirement for a second test post arrival for those returning or arriving from overseas.
“They will have, as we said last week, a rapid antigen test on arrival. If that is negative, then they will not be required to have a further test,” he said.
Mr Morrison said those who test positive for Covid-19 at home should contact their GP.
“That is always your first point of contact when it comes to managing your illness, if you are not in hospital. And your GP would be able to assist you through telehealth if you need to go and get further treatment in hospital,” he said.
Mr Morrison confirmed the Attorneys General across the country had been tasked to come back by next week with advice on the health and safety obligations of employers.
He said due to the short supply of rapid antigen tests it was important kits were being used for the most important reasons, and not simply because businesses believe they were legally obligated to test employees in order to prevent Covid-19 spread.
Chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly said the Australian Health Principals Protection Committee (AHPPC) had finalised a new framework for furloughing employees in aged care settings amid the pressures of the Omicron outbreak on staffing levels.
The document sets out a “risk-based approach” instead of the old “no tolerance approach”.
“We’ve known right from the beginning in terms of residents of aged care, we have the dual responsibility of protecting oneself but also protecting those most at risk,” he said.
“We need people at work to look after our aged care residents, even if they are at a low risk of transmitting Covid-19.”
Mr Morrison added that over the next fortnight, a set of final recommendations which will set out a national framework for the return of school will be determined.
“The objective here is very clear and we are all very shared in our view that schools go back and stay back. On day one of term one,” he said.
“We understand it is a significant stress to people all around the country and the further actions we have decided to take today in addition to those last week where we change the definition of close contacts, in particular in the isolation requirements, it is our hope and our confidence that it should further alleviate the pressure which is in the system,” Mr Morrison also said.
The Prime Minister said the rapid antigen tests would suffer a “short term supply constraint”, but we now have more than 200 million tests between Commonwealth and states and territories.
“They are experiencing this in the United Kingdom, all around the world. There is this rapid increase in the demand for these tests in an Omicron pandemic, which was different to what was occurring in the Delta pandemic, and as a result, the challenges we are facing here are the same and similar to the many other countries like Australia elsewhere in the world.”
ALBANESE CALLS FOR RAPID TESTS TO BE MADE FREE
It comes after Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese backflipped and called on the Morrison government to make rapid antigen tests free.
Earlier this week, Mr Albanese called for the tests to be subsidised for all, but with pharmacists and the Doherty Institute calling for the kits to be free, he changed his tune.
“Rapid antigen tests should be free and available. We are in a pandemic. Everyone needs access,” he said on Wednesday.
“We have been saying for some time that nobody should be denied a test because they can’t afford one. We have considered the options and it is clear that this is the simplest, most efficient, fairest and most responsible way to fix the mess that Scott Morrison has made of testing at this critical juncture of the pandemic.
“As always, we are prepared to work with the government to determine the best way to provide free tests through the Medicare system.”
The issue – which comes after the states and territories agreed to rely more on the tests – has become a huge point of debate, with many demanding the RATs be provided free.
The Prime Minister has continued to reject calls to provide free RAT tests, saying on the Today show on Monday: “And by making that policy very, very clear, then that means the private market, whether it’s in the big warehouse pharmacies or the other pharmacies or the supermarkets, they can now go and stock their shelves with confidence that they won’t be undercut by the government.”
People without symptoms or links to a positive case have to buy the RATs themselves, with prices ranging up to $30.
Even at these prices, kits have been hard to come by in many markets.
The urgency in seeking RAT tests has been heightened by some states and territories insisting that interstate arrivals produce a negative test.
The Health Services Union called for the government to commit to providing free rapid antigen test kits to people, saying a family couldn’t afford $150 out of their budget.
“Big retailers profiteering is no different to individuals looting during a crisis; the Prime Minister needs to step in and ensure rapid antigen tests are free and accessible to everyone who needs them,” HSU national president Gerard Hayes said.
“Our health system is currently overwhelmed and private testing clinics are temporarily closing due to the backlog of samples needed to be processed.
“Rapid antigen tests can provide a quick answer to those who think they may have contracted the virus.”
CHEMISTS TO HAVE RAPID TEST BUYING LIMITS
Limits could soon be in place on how many rapid antigen test kits people can buy at pharmacies.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia, in a statement on Wednesday, confirmed it was working with the federal government to implement a “voluntary code which will place limits on rapid antigen tests at point of sale”.
Pharmacy Guild national president Professor Trent Twomey said this would prevent stockpiling and ensure as many people as possible have access to the tests.
Prof Twomey said similar rules were put in place in 2020 to ration salbutamol and paracetamol.
The move toward rationing the sale of rapid antigen test kits comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison is due to announce immediate cash relief for concession card holders and low-income earners to purchase RATs.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, prior to national cabinet, had signalled she believed the proposed system for subsidised RATs should be “as simple as possible”.
ACCC WARNS RAPID TEST GOUGERS
The ACCC has warned it will “name and shame” those found charging excessive prices for tests, while employee organisation Professional Pharmacy Australia has demanded the government provide tests free.
The ACCC has received more than 100 complaints and is responding to mounting pressure after Australians face being unable to buy, or in some cases afford, RAT kits to determine if they need a PCR test to confirm Covid-19 symptoms.
ACCC chairman Rod Sims said his organisation was aware of issues surrounding pricing of rapid antigen tests and was contacting suppliers and investigating the cause.
The ACCC will be examining claims that the current pricing levels of rapid antigen tests are due to challenges in obtaining supply of those tests.
“We are seeking information from suppliers about their costs and the current pricing of rapid antigen tests. We are also asking them about their current stock levels, and the amounts on order, and about their expectations about when additional tests may become readily available to consumers,” Mr Sims said.
“We are also contacting major retailers and pharmacies seeking similar information and reminding them that they need to be able to substantiate any claims they make to consumers about the reason for higher prices.”
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