Day 1 and 6 tests scrapped for interstate arrivals | Patience running out on rapid test kit lag

The government has dumped some rules for visitors after Covid testing queues exploded – but the state continues to lag on at-home rapid antigen tests as pressure mounts to legalise their sale.

Pharmacies and supermarkets are already gearing up to offer rapid antigen test kits to the general South Australian community as pressure continues to mount on the state government to legalise the sale of the self-administered tests.

It comes as Premier Steven Marshall announced SA will scrap Day 1 and Day 6 testing requirements for all interstate travellers who do not have symptoms.

A total of 154 new Covid cases were recorded in SA on Tuesday.

“Effective immediately, those people coming from interstate do not need to be tested on arrival if they do not have symptoms,” Mr Marshall said.

He said staff would be walking the testing lines and telling those from interstate they can leave the line immediately.

“We are basically going almost car to car telling people that if they are from interstate they can leave the line.”

However a traveller currently in the line at Adelaide Airport said staff were saying they have not been informed of the new directive and are advising travellers to stay in the testing line.

Mr Marshall said the decision had just been made.

“If there’s a hiatus of half an hour or an hour at the airport we apologise for it but people in those (lines) now, if they don’t have symptoms, should feel quite well to leave and go about their business.

“I think we will see a massive reduction in those lines today.

“If visitors do have symptoms, we encourage people to isolate immediately and book in a test online on the SA Health website.”

Premier Steven Marshall speaking at the Covid-19 update press conference. Picture: 7NEWS

Mr Marshall said SA authorities would also be advocating to National Cabinet on Wednesday that booster shots should be brought forward from five months to four months.

He also reaffirmed authorities were “actively considering” when it would be appropriate for Rapid-Antigen Testing (RAT) to become more widely available for use in SA.

He said those tests, which should be available to the broader SA public “fairly soon” were more suited to people without symptoms.

One of Australia’s RAT providers, Roche Diagnostics Australia, said it had secured three million at-home kits, revealing SA Health had placed an order for the kits.

“We apologise for the lengthy delays people have experienced,” Mr Marshall said regarding huge waits for testing.

He said testing had gone from about 2000 tests a day to 20,000 and that 300 extra SA Pathology staff had been added to the system to cope with the increased testing.

“We’d much rather keep that capacity now for South Australians with symptoms.

“We’re not encouraging people to go and sit in their cars for hours and hours – you can book in online and turn up to a testing site within that hour and get a test.”

SA sites with an online booking system are: Victoria Park, Bedford Park, Berri (two sites), Ceduna, Coober Pedy, Elizabeth South, Mt Gambier, Pt Adelaide, Regency Park, Ridgehaven Waterworld and SA Pathology traveller clinic.

Amid a blowout in PCR testing wait times, the Australian Medical Association, the Opposition and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia have renewed their calls for the wider introduction of rapid antigen tests in SA.

While SA Health on Monday stated it would remove the restriction on the general sale of home rapid antigen tests “in the near future,” SA businesses were already preparing to cater for the anticipated demand.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia SA Branch President Nick Panayiaris said local chemists were getting on the front foot.

“A lot of them are already in the throes of ordering and preparing to stock rapid antigen testing,” he said.

“It is going to be a bit testing because of supply, with what’s happening interstate.”

Demand for RATs interstate has surged in the lead-up to Christmas, leading to supply shortages. RATs are allowed to be sold to the general public across Australia, except in SA and Western Australia.

In SA, only high-risk medical workers are permitted to use the tests.

Mr Panayiaris said the tests should be made available to the wider SA community “as soon as possible”.

Woolworths has sold RATs in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and the ACT since November and says it is ready to get test kits onto the shelves of its SA stores as soon as it gets the go-ahead.

“We’re ready to support our South Australian customers and will stock rapid antigen testing kits should they be approved,” a Woolworths spokesman said.

Coles declined to comment.

Australian Medical Association SA president Dr Michelle Atchison said RATs would be ideal for use by people before they attend medical appointments, those visiting nursing homes and even hospitality workers.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said: “If rapid antigen testing is good in almost every other state in the country, now is the time for it to be available in South Australia”.

On Omicron, Mr Marshall said the signs of a more mild strain were strong.

“We are seeing lower level symptom severity with Omicron strain.

“We are seeing a massive surge with the number of the daily (Omicron) cases (in NSW), but we are not seeing a huge rise in hospitalisations.”

Police Commissioner Grant Steven said border lockdowns and statewide lockdowns were “not on the table at this point in time”.

Mr Stevens said there had not been a drop in QR code check-ins in the lead-up to Christmas.

He added that there were no changes to quarantine rules for close or casual contacts.

“(There has been) no discussion at this time to reduce the home quarantine arrangements for vaccinated people,” he said.

Mr Malinauskas said it was “abundantly clear” that the state government did not adequately prepare SA to live with Covid.

“With testing queues now up to eight hours long, contract tracers well and truly behind, patients with Covid being ramped at hospitals, I think a lot of people are worried that the work to get us ready to live with Covid really hasn’t been done,” he said.

Mr Malinauskas called on the government to dedicate more resources towards Covid testing, turn all existing clinics that currently close each day into 24/7 operations, and reopen clinics that were closed, such as those at the Women’s and Children’s and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals.

Originally published as Day 1 and 6 tests scrapped for interstate arrivals | Patience running out on rapid test kit lag