But Health Minister Mark Butler said the expiration of the three-month plan was “roughly the right time,” and said the tests were now affordable and easily accessible.
Health Minister Mark Butler said it was the right time to end the free RAT scheme. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“The price has dropped drastically,” Butler told Melbourne 3AW radio on Tuesday.
“They were running at an average of $ 24 or $ 25 per test if you could get them in January. They’re now going down about $ 8 per test,” he said.
He recommended that concession card holders claim the 10 free trials assigned before the end of the month.
RACGP president and assistant professor Karen Price said $ 8 for a test was a considerable expense for many people.
“When you consider that someone may have to do multiple tests for many days, you can see how quickly it becomes unaffordable,” Price said. “If people can’t access RATs, our entire healthcare system will come under even more immense pressure.
“The number of cases and hospitalizations continue to rise every day. Governments should encourage more evidence, not less.
The National President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Dr Fei Sim
“With the increasing number of COVID-19 cases across Australia and the limited PCR testing available, it is critical to ensure that as many people as possible can access RATs when they need to.
Free rapid antigen testing kits are currently offered at some state testing sites in NSW and Victoria.
Meanwhile, NSW Health’s decision to shorten the COVID reinfection period from 12 weeks to four means that any symptomatic person 28 days after giving a positive should try again and isolate themselves if the result is positive again.
These people will be counted as new cases and will have to be isolated for seven days, NSW Health said.
NSW Health Director Dr Kerry Chant said subvariants were better able to evade immunity from previous infections and vaccinations.
“Reinfection is most likely and possible a few weeks after a previous infection,” Dr. Chant said.
NSW Health is also overseeing a cruise with more than 100 cases of COVID-19 among its 2,300 passengers and crew that is scheduled to dock in Sydney on Wednesday.
The Coral Princess, the Ruby Princess’ sister ship that spawned more than 900 cases of COVID, has been designated an “amber” state by NSW Health, defined as a moderate outbreak (between 30 and 99 positive cases per 1,000 people) that has affected the ship. personnel or resources, but can safely maintain their critical services.
NSW Health’s deputy director of health, Dr Jeremy McAnulty, said passengers will be asked to return a negative RAT result before disembarking, but that tests would not be mandatory.
Passengers and crew members tested positive for COVID-19 aboard the Coral Princess. Credit: Getty Images
“We have moved away from many obligatory things, and this is how it is [about] personal responsibility. These are people who care about people, ”he said.
Passengers on ground excursions will also be asked to advise NSW Health to wear masks when in transport or in other indoor public spaces, at a physical distance whenever possible and to use hand sanitizer regularly.
More than 100 people had been confined to their cabin cabins on Tuesday. The vast majority of COVID-19 cases on board are crew members, NSW Health said.
COVID-19 cases continue to rise in NSW. On Tuesday, 2,049 people were in hospitals with COVID-19, compared to 1,255 patients with COVID-19 at the same time last month.
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