Coronavirus: As Joe Public scrambles, Australian Open will serve up 40,000 RATs

The Australian Open will burn through tens of thousands of rapid antigen tests as consumers struggle to get their hands on one.

A customer holds his rapid antigen tests after purchasing them from a chemist in Sydney. Picture: Nikki Short

The Australian Open will burn through tens of thousands of rapid antigen tests to clear players and staff of Covid as consumers struggle to get their hands on the tests amid widespread shortages.

Tennis Australia is requiring the up to 3000 staff members, tennis players and their entourages, as well as media, to test negatively on RATs, every day of the 14-day tournament.

This means the Open will require at least 40,000 RATs, although the first players and staff began arriving in Sydney and Melbourne on December 28 and were subject to the daily testing requirements. It is understood Tennis Australia purchased the RATs in November.

Tennis Australia and the Victorian government on Thursday announced that crowds at Open sessions would be capped at half-capacity unless ticket sales already exceeded 50 per cent.

Tickets and ground passes already purchased will not be cancelled or changed but patrons will have to wear face masks at all times unless eating or drinking.

Acting Sport Minister Jaala Pulford said the Open was one of the state’s biggest events and the 2020 tournament had attracted more than 800,000 spectators and injected $387.7m into the state’s economy. “These updates to arrangements for the Australian Open will mean fans, players and the workforce can look forward to a terrific Covid-safe event in Australia’s event capital,” she said.

HEPA filters will be installed at Melbourne Park after a ventilation assessment is completed.

RATs are scarce amid the Omicron wave that has seen record case numbers in every state and territory, with Victoria recording 37,169 cases on Thursday.

Some states, including Tasmania, require someone to test negative on a RAT before entering an event site.

Supermarket giant Coles said on Thursday it would take weeks before RATS returned to the shelves while Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chair Rod Sims has set up a team to investigate pricing after scores of complaints of gouging.

Victorian Covid-19 logistics chief Jeroen Weimar said the state’s PCR testing system was undergoing a slow recovery after it collapsed in the holiday period and about 70 per cent of results were returned within 48 hours.

Mr Weimar on Thursday said 69 per cent of PCR test results were now being returned within 48 hours, with more than half of people receiving a result the day after their test.

The Health Department last week implemented a system to accept the results of RATs conducted at home, although their limited availability has caused problems.

“We are still some way short of the standards we think we should be at,“ Mr Weimar said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the state government expected to receive about 2.5 million RATs from the 10 million being released from the national medical stockpile on a pro rata basis, with the state government able to assist businesses in ­procuring RATs in limited ­circumstances.

Mr Andrews said the onus would be on employers to provide RATs to their employees to enable them to be exempt from close contact isolation rules in critical industries.

Tennis Australia ignored The Australian’s multiple requests for comment.