Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the Australian public today following a national cabinet meeting about rapid antigen testS (RATS) use nationwide, as cases surge to 64,000 across the country.
Morrison said several requirements for PCR tests are to be changed nationally in order to help the states and territories’ health systems cope with the current demand. Morrison outlined the changes in today’s press conference.
- Those who return a positive RAT will no longer be required to receive a PCR test.
- The seven-day rolling test for Australian truck drivers will dissolve.
- Testing requirements for hospitals – either public or private – will be removed.
- The second test for international arrivals will no longer be required.
Further, those who are not symptomatic, instead receiving a “causal test”, will no longer need to present for a PCR test.
“If you are a close contact, if you are symptomatic you need to go get a test at a testing clinic,” said Morrison.
“If you are not one of those you don’t need to get tested.”
The PM further clearly stated that tests for individuals displaying symptoms of COVID have always been free, and will continue to be so moving forwards.
Morrison acknowledged the stress and frustration felt by Australians by the testing delays documented in each state and territory and hoped these changes would ease the pressure in the coming weeks.
This national change should also take the pressure off of pathology labs, and speed up the waiting time for PCR results – which is essential. There will be more advice on this to come from the Chief Health Officer next week.
Nevertheless, the dissolving of these PCR requirements does not apply to WA, which was also noted absent from today’s national cabinet meeting. Morrison continued to state that Western Australia is in a very different place regarding COVID-19 in comparison to the rest of the country.
Rapid Anitgen Tests for Concession Cardholders
It was announced today that over 200 million rapid antigen tests (RATS) have been secured by the commonwealth, states and territories, aiding the nation to evolve its COVID-19 testing to focus on rapid tests, instead of PCR. The PCR tests are only reserved for those requiring it for essential purposes – such as having COVID-19 – not for domestic travel or receiving hospital treatment. A total of 10 million tests will be delivered to the states and territories.
Morrison stated that 6.6 million concession cardholders will be able to receive free rapid antigen tests, up to five per month, over the next three months. Those who are eligible for the concessional tests are the following:
- Commonwealth senior’s health card
- Health care card
- Low income care
- Pension concession
- DVA Gold or DVA white
These tests are to be collected from pharmacies when needed for asymptomatic individuals and those displaying symptoms of COVID-19 will be able to go to a testing site and receive their free test there.
Morrison said these changes are coming about to help in easing the pressure of Australia’s health system and pathology service, which have inundated the demand for PCR tests nationally.
“There is a rapid increase in demand for these tests in an Omicron pandemic versus the Delta pandemic – we are not on our own dealing with this,” said Morrison.
“We get together, we work the problem, we get the solutions and we get through – that’s the reason Australia is where it is after two years of this pandemic.”
Universal free access to tests was not agreed upon by any states, territories and the commonwealth. Morrison said it is hoped that the concession cardholder program will be rolled out in the next fortnight.
Price Gouging
Prime Minister Scott Morrison further announced today that rapid antigen tests will also be included in the Biosecurity Act to stop individuals and businesses from price gouging.
If RATS are being sold at over a 120 per cent mark up of the standard price, it is a fine of up to $66,000 or five years in jail. The price gouging and biosecurity laws regarding the rapid tests are similar to those seen at the beginning of the pandemic for hoarding and selling of essential items.
Hoarding restrictions are also in place for RATS, with households able to purchase one box (either containing two or five tests) at a time.
Critical Workforce
Morrison announced that he has tasked the Attorney General and the Development Minister from each state and territory to work out a way around “the obligations of employers in relation to their occupation and health and safety obligations”.
Alluding to testing requirements, and the pressures it is placing on workplaces, especially critical places such as aged care facilities, the transport industry and healthcare workers.
The PM said the new isolation requirements could be extended: “Employers are concerned that under those OHS rules that they have to require their staff to be tested in order to meet those obligations. We will be working to ensure that that obligation will not be required.”
“If businesses are wanting to test their staff for other reasons, that is a matter for them. Supplies are short and in the next few weeks, we want to make sure they are going to where they are essentially required, which is, once again, close contacts and people who are symptomatic.
“We will be working together with them to clarify those arrangements and to ensure that, particularly small businesses and medium-sized businesses are not imposed with the burden of having to pay for tests simply to comply with the regulation that would not be considered necessary.”
Return to School
The final point made by the PM discussed the plan for return to schools, saying all leaders have agreed they don’t want schools opening and closing, and they want to avoid disruptions: “The objective here is very clear and we are all very shared in our view that schools go back and stay back, on day one of term one.”
He says officials in each jurisdiction will meet to develop a national framework that will cover “any furloughing issues, matters relating to health and safety, matters relating to vaccination and of other issues that will be defined over the course of the next month by the secretaries to ensure that we have a clear common approach as best as we are able to achieve across all states and territories.”
The PM’s statement was seconded by COVID-19 taskforce commander, Lieutenant General John Frewen, who confirmed that the administration of vaccines for five- to 11-year-olds which is set to begin on 10 January is imperative to the success of the national back to school program:
“The program for the 2.3 million kids in that category will commence on 10 January,” said Frewen.
“Again, the very particular supply for that cohort in the country has been tested and is being distributed as we speak, and there will be adequate paediatric doses to meet the first dose requirement for all kids, prior to the commencement of school … either within January or in the early weeks of February.”
A national framework preparing for the return of students and staff will be announced next week.
It is expected that Prime Minister Scott Morrison will deliver another national speech in the following week providing an update on the progress of said systems, programs and national response to the Omicron variant.
The national news comes just after South Australian Premier Steven Marshall held the daily COVID-19 press conference for the state.
During the update, Marshall said that SA would be looking to evolve how the state tests those deemed a close contact, moving to the rapid antigen tests (RATS) in the coming weeks to ease the pressure of the PCR testing system. During this conference, he announced those rapid antigen tests for close contacts would be free, and noted a further update was to come.
Read more about South Australia’s daily press conference here.
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