PM Scott Morrison announces changes to who needs a PCR test

Among the slew of announcements on Wednesday the PM also announced that many people won’t need a PCR test anymore even if they’re sick.

Australians who test positive on a rapid antigen test will no longer be required to follow it up with a PCR test.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the change after the national cabinet meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

“If you are a close contact and had a rapid antigen test (RAT) and it is positive, you do not need to get a PCR test to confirm that,” Mr Morrison said.

“That will take pressure off PCR testing lines.”

If you are a close contact or symptomatic you must go to a testing site and not a pharmacy or store to get a rapid antigen test.

Over the next few weeks, testing sites will also offer rapid antigen tests as well as 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 if they have a negative test, they can go home and get on with their life,” Mr Morrison said.

Truck drivers also won’t need to have weekly tests, second test for international arrivals will be scrapped and test won’t be needed to enter hospital for treatment. Some of those rules will not apply in all states, such as Western Australia.

The announcement comes after isolation and testing changes were made last week to also reduce strain on the overwhelmed testing system that saw Australians queue in testing lines for hours and not get their results for days.

While stocks of rapid antigen tests are on their way, Mr Morrison did warn over the next few weeks there would likely continue to be “a lot of tension in the system” when it comes to supply and demand.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced further changes to help alleviate the strain on the country’s overwhelmed testing system. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The Victorian Department of Health revealed on Wednesday it had started a pilot program with rapid tests at four testing sites in the state.

People who are already in the line at the PCR testing sites may be offered a rapid test to use if they don’t have symptoms.

It is a system epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely, from the University of Melbourne, suggested to news.com.au as he and other experts called for an overhaul of the country’s testing system last month.

“Those sort of things reduce the demand on the testing so we can get the best bang for buck, which means getting people through the queue fast and safely, and getting the (PCR) results back to people fast within 24 hours so it’s more effective at dampening transmission,” he said at the time.

While it appears there is no official method to reporting positive RATs, Mr Morrison recommended Australians tell their GP if they are Covid positive.

Huge lines has had experts worried about transmission at testing sites. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

Use of rapid tests at testing sites hopes to alleviate some pressure on the system. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Josh Woning

Mr Morrison also announced that patients will no longer need a test prior to entering a hospital.

“You will likely be given one when you are there, you don’t need to go line up in these queues because you are going to get hospital treatments,” he said.

In addition, overseas arrivals will no longer need to have a further test if they test negative on a rapid antigen test.

Mr Morrison said this was because the country was not seeing large numbers of cases come through international arrivals and community transmission was where the greatest risks were.

Queensland, however, will not implement this until the state is 90 per cent double vaccinated. right now, 86.85 per cent of Queenslanders 16 years and older are currently fully vaccinated.

A requirement for a seven-day rolling test for truck drivers has also been removed.

Western Australia was not represented at the national cabinet meeting and will continue to operate as it has been.

Mr Morrison said he hoped that when the state opened its border and was“confronted with the same issues”, that it would move in line with the rest of the country.