SA Government will not pick up bill for free home Covid tests

South Aussies will reach into their own pockets to fund home Covid tests, as the state government says it won’t pick up the bill. It comes as SA’s main vax hub closes.

The SA government has ruled out taking over a federal scheme providing free rapid antigen tests (RATs) to concession card-holders, which ends on July 31.

Health Minister Chris Picton is urging the federal ­government to extend the scheme, which provides 10 free RATs every three months for concession card-holders, but will not fill the void.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced the program would stop at the end of the month due to kit prices coming down – just as SA faces a surge in cases.

The state government will continue to provide free RATs for close contacts of Covid-19-positive people but will not extend its own program.

SA Health Minister Chris Picton and Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Mr Picton instead urged concession card holders to stock up before the scheme ends so “you’ve got them in the cupboard if you need them down the track”.

He said the offer of free RATs for close contacts of positive cases will continue.

“These are available for people who are close contacts and you just have to register on the SA Health website and you’re able to pick up a pack of five rapid antigen tests,” Mr Picton said.

“These are really important because there are close contact rules that are in place. If you are in close contact, you don’t have to isolate for seven to 14 days but you do have to follow a whole set of requirements.

It’s a medical no-brainer that masks/distancing/work from home should be Gov policy now. But Governments have to balance potential violence from a subset of us who do not understand the science/risks or who are just Olympic level selfish. The price? Aussies will die or be maimed.

— Dr Bill Griggs AM ASM (@drbillgriggs) July 12, 2022

“One includes undertaking five rapid antigen tests within a seven day period, the other is if you leave the home, you are required to wear a mask.”

Covid-19 case numbers are soaring as subvariants take hold with Wednesday’s total of 4408, a sharp rise from the 3039, 3300 and 3668 recorded over the previous three days.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said cases linked to the highly infectious subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 had doubled in a week and urged people to take precautions, ­including masks.

However, she is not recommending a return to mandatory mask wearing in public places, such as shops, which would require an emergency declaration order.

The subvariants now account for just more than half of new cases.

The jump in cases comes as Professor Spurrier said modelling of the winter peak showed it was expected to hit the state around July 19. Earlier forecasts suggested this could result in about 5000 cases a day.

“If we put in place some protective behaviour, say 100 per cent of us in South Australia started wearing masks, it will reduce the transmission potential by about 10 per cent.” Professor Spurrier said. “It’s actually up to us to try and reduce the height of that curve.”

It comes as the state’s biggest jab hub at Wayville closes on Thursday afternoon.

The walk-in vaccination site provided more than 500,000 jabs since it opened but will close at 2pm Thursday so Royal Adelaide Show preparations can begin.

A new pop-up Covid jab site opened in the West Parklands from 8.30am Wednesday, with entry available at Sir Donald Bradman Drive.

No bookings are required.

Mr Picton said the clinic would offer the Pfizer vaccine to ages five and up, including the fourth winter dose for people aged 30 and up.