Yvette D’Ath criticises Scott Morrison over rapid antigen test ad

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has slammed Prime Minister Scott Morrison of political posturing over federal government ads spruiking the supply of rapid antigen tests in coming weeks.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has taken aim at the federal government for rapid antigen test advertising she slammed as “self-serving” and “irresponsible”.

As Queensland recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic — with 16 death — Ms D’Ath slammed the federal government for a 30-second advertisement promoting information on how people who are close contacts or have symptoms can get rapid antigen tests from testing facilities.

The video, from the federal health department and carrying no political branding, noted that to help with testing more than 70 million RATs had been “secured” by the Australian government, thus “making it easier for all people to get them in the coming weeks”.

But Ms D’Ath slammed the 30-second federal health department ad as “self-serving” and “highly-political”.

She said Queensland was due to receive 100,000 RATs from the Commonwealth on Wednesday, with half of those to be point-of-care tests which can be administered only by trained professionals.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has slammed federal government advertising around rapid antigen testing as ‘self-serving’ and ‘highly political’.

“(These ads) are highly political, and it’s about (Prime Minister Scott) Morrison, positioning himself to look good in the lead up to an election,” she said.

“To actually be running these ads, knowing that there is not enough supply our public testing clinics to give everyone who turns up with symptoms or is a close contact a free test is I think irresponsible.

“It is not Scott Morrison who is standing there at these testing clinics having to deal with the abuse of people who are unhappy because they can’t get a free test.”

The highly infectious Omicron variant has pushed Queensland, and Australia’s, Covid-19 case load to levels previously unseen, piling unprecedented pressure on the health system and pushing testing capacity to breaking point.

Widespread Covid-19 infection in the community has also led to a shortage of do-it-yourself rapid antigen test kits.

National cabinet, earlier this month, agreed that the cost of providing RATs to people with symptoms or who were close contacts would be split 50:50 between the states and the Commonwealth.

National cabinet, also on January 5, noted the Commonwealth would “provide 10 million RATs to states and territories” as a combination of point-of-care tests and self-tests to “assist with testing and laboratory capacity”.

Federal health minister Greg Hunt, on Monday, said in a radio interview that the federal government had provided 5.6 million rapid antigen tests to aged care.

He also said 70 million tests ordered by the Commonwealth would be “coming in over the coming weeks and months”.

Ms D’Ath also questioned the federal government’s rollout of the Covid-19 booster program in aged care facilities, alleging a third of residents were denied the opportunity to get a third dose.

“Are we not messaging properly? Are we not communicating with the residents and we’re not communicating with the families?” she said.

“Our health workers are busy in our hospitals trying to save lives.

“The Commonwealth has a responsibility to get those vaccines into aged care facilities and disability facilities. That is their job. And they need to get on with that job.”

Originally published as Yvette D’Ath criticises Scott Morrison over rapid antigen test ad