Where you can find rapid Covid tests in Greater Brisbane and Ipswich
Thousands of promised rapid antigen tests still have not arrived at leading Southeast Queensland chemists, as they become even harder to track down. MORE DETAILS HERE.
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Thousands of promised rapid antigen tests have still not arrived at leading southeast Queensland pharmacies, with the product almost impossible to track down.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath earlier today said 15,962 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the past 24 hours.
There was also an increase in hospital admissions, with more than 800 people now in wards for Covid-related illnesses.
New restrictions on the number of people who can visit hospital wards have been implemented, with only two people per ward allowed and only one person – aside from the patient – allowed in emergency departments.
Three of the people who died were in their 70s, eight were aged in their 80s, four in their 90s and one person was older than 100.
Of those who died, 10 people were double-vaccinated against Covid-19, two had one dose of vaccine and four were not vaccinated, according to health officials.
None of them had received a booster shot and nine of them were in residential aged care.
A total of 819 people are now in Queensland hospitals with Covid-19, with 50 people in the intensive care unit.
Of those 50 people, 18 of them are on ventilators.
A Brisbane Priceline employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said they still had no rapid antigen tests (RATs) despite having ordered some months ago.
“We have ordered like over 2000 about a month or two ago and nothing has come in,” they said.
“We paid already.”
The employee said they were repeatedly told they were supposed to be having ‘more stock arriving today or tomorrow’, but they said this has now been going on for weeks with no RATs in site.
“The delays are f***ed,” they said.
Another Priceline employee, who also asked to remain anonymous, said the promised RATs never arrive and they were just as much in the dark as everyone else.
“We have orders on the way but no dates about when they are coming,” they said.
“Before everyone went crazy for tests we got our allocated tests sent to the store which was organised by Priceline head office.”
More than nine in 10 chemists surveyed by the Professional Pharmacists Australia union say they cannot get hold of the RATs they need to order to meet demand.
Chemist Warehouse chief Mario Tassone has told News Corp it takes three to four weeks after ordering the tests for them to arrive in chemist shops.
His company received a shipment of 200,000 tests on the weekend but he said they were gone within the first five minutes of shops opening on Monday.
The survey also found that 79 per cent of pharmacists believed their workplace was not adequately staffed to deal with the additional demands being placed on it, with many citing high employee absentee rates due to Covid-19 infection or isolation requirements.
It was recently revealed that Chemist Warehouse has been rationing out the few remaining RATs at local stores.
A shopper said she was recently at the Browns Plains store where she claimed they were only selling two tests per person.
An employee that answered the phone at that chemist today said they had no stock, but if or when they received some, there would be a limit of one RAT per person.
A crowdsourced website called ‘Find a RAT’ has been keeping Brisbane locals up to date with where they can track down rapid tests.
As of today the website is indicating there are no RATs for sale anywhere near Brisbane.
The website shows only three chemists in Queensland have been reported by shoppers to have RATs for sale. These are in Toowoomba, Cairns, and Inglewood.
In response to PCR testing sites being overwhelmed and rapid antigen tests flying off the shelves, software agency PipeLabs launched the Find a RAT website to crowdsource the location of rapid tests.
Anyone can upload chemists or supermarkets where they have seen the tests in stock.
Users can search by postcodes to find where the nearest tests are available.
The map marks area in green if they have stock, yellow if they are low on stock and red for stores that have sold out.
EARLIER:
We’ve compiled a list of shops where you might be able to find rapid antigen tests across the Greater Brisbane and Ipswich regions, accurate as of January 4.
BRISBANE CITY
Woolworths Macarthur Chambers
259 Queen Street, Brisbane City, 4000
In stock
Pharmacy 500
496 Ipswich Road, Annerley, 4103
In stock
Coles Ascot
Ascot Plaza, Racecourse Road and Dobson Street, Ascot, 4007
In stock
Woolworths Bracken Ridge
154 Barrett Street, Bracken Ridge, 4017
Low stock
Woolworths Forest Lake
235 Forest Lake Boulevard, Forest Lake, 4078
In stock
Coles Sunnybank Hills
Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown, Compton Road and Calam Road, Sunnybank Hills, 4109
In stock
Woolworths Sunnybank Hills
Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown, Compton Road, 4109
In stock
MORETON BAY
Chemist Warehouse Lawnton
728 Gympie Road, Lawnton, 4501
In stock
Chemist Warehouse Northlakes
In stock
REDLAND CITY
SupplyAus
1/35 Wellington Street, Ormiston, 4160
In stock
Russell Island Pharmacy
17 Panorama Ave, Russell Island, 4184
In stock
LOGAN CITY
Chemist Warehouse Crestmead
55 Waratah Drive, Crestmead, 4132
In stock
IPSWICH CITY
Woolworths Karalee
Junction Road, Karalee, 4306
In stock
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