New website to find rapid Covid tests launched as cases soar across Australia

A new website has been launched to help Australians find rapid antigen Covid tests which remain in short supply across the country.

Australians desperate to get their hands on a rapid antigen test are turning to a new website which launched on Monday night.

‘Find a RAT’, developed by Matt Hayward from software agency PipeLabs, allows people to access data on which chemists and supermarkets in their local areas have stock available.

The launch of the website comes amid an escalating political spat, with testing kits in short supply, and the federal government ruling out making them free for all.

Currently, the website’s data is crowdsourced from user reports, who are able to mark a store green for ‘in stock’, orange for ‘low stock’, or red for ‘no stock’.

Users can search via postcode to find local data.

Find a RAT has been launched to help Australians locate a rapid antigen test.

The federal opposition said the onus should not be on Australians to turn to a website to source a test, as pressure mounts on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to make them free and more widely available.

On Monday, Mr Morrison said he would not undercut businesses by making RATs free, insisting Australians needed to pay for their own tests.

“We’re now at a stage of the pandemic where you can’t just make everything free, because when someone tells you they want to make something free, someone’s always going to pay for it and it will be you,” he said.

His comments sparked backlash as cases around the country continue to surge, with some state and commonwealth testing centres turning people away.

Testing centres around the country are being forced to send people away. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Chemists across the country have posted similar notices on their front doors amid the shortage of Rapid Antigen Tests. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers ramped up his attack on the Prime Minister on Tuesday, saying Mr Morrison needed to “fix the mess”.

“It’s getting to a pretty mad stage now. People are either going without or they’re getting ripped off, and the only alternative is to stand in lines for half a day (at testing centres),” Mr Chalmers told Today.

“What’s making people absolutely filthy about this is they know they’ve got a PM who’s prepared to spray tens of billions of dollars around, wasting it on marginal seat rorts but says he can’t afford to make tests affordable for people.

“We can’t have a situation where people at their most vulnerable and most contagious are wondering around shopping centres looking for tests that don’t exist, and if they do they’re getting ripped off, and if they don’t they’re being left undiagnosed which is leaving their co-workers and loved ones more vulnerable.

“The question for Scott Morrison today is how many people have to go undiagnosed, ripped off or faint in testing queues before this bloke will do his job and take responsibility and fix this mess he’s made of rapid antigen tests.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is under pressure to make RATs free and more widely available. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Australian Medical Association vice president Dr Chris Moy told Radio National on Tuesday said the current situation was “really hampering the ability to control Covid”.

“I, the AMA and other groups asked the government about the testing strategy several months ago … it was put to us that the government would not intervene when the private market could take over,” Dr Moy said.

“The problem is relying on the private market during a health crisis and there is a market failure … we have … inability to supply (RATs) at a critical moment, lack of equality of access

“There is poor communication about when people should be using them.

“The lack of (RATs) is completely hampering personal responsibility and it is a frustration that is a glaring hole in the current management of Covid.”

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said Health Minister Greg Hunt had been told in September that rapid antigen tests would form part of Australia’s plan, but the government had failed.

“The national government didn’t plan for the national plan. And when you are failing to plan, you’re planning to fail,” Mr Albanese said on Tuesday.

“The government certainly … planned to fail. And the consequence of that is more anxiety and more concern in the community today.

”This government says essentially, you’re on your own. Let me make it very clear – the heart of our health system is Medicare.

“This government and its attitude towards rapid antigen tests is undermining our health system, and is consistent with a government that has sought to undermine Medicare at each and every opportunity.”

Originally published as New website to find rapid Covid tests launched as cases soar across Australia