Here's how millions of Aussies can get free rapid antigen tests for COVID-19

Millions of Australians will soon have access to COVID-19 rapid antigen tests for free, following concerns this week over a lack of availability, and accusations of some retailers engaging in ‘price gouging’ practices.

On Wednesday afternoon, following a meeting of the National Cabinet, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that free rapid antigen tests will be provided to concession card holders and low-income earners, starting within the next two weeks.

Who can get free rapid antigen tests?

You will be eligible for free rapid antigen tests if you hold any of the following cards:

• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card
• Health Care Card
• Low Income Health Care Card
• Pension Concession Card
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) Gold, White or Orange Card.

Eligible Australians will be able to collect free test kits from pharmacies, and will be able to access a total of 10 tests for free, with a cap of five per month, over the next three months.

“They should only be getting those tests if they are not symptomatic and they are not close contacts,” the Prime Minister said. “If you are symptomatic or a close contact, you can go to the testing centre as many times as you need to.”

The Federal Government has announced that it will split the bill for the tests with state and territory governments.

This represents a change to the earlier rules, under which free rapid antigen tests were only available at public test sites to close contacts of known cases, people with symptoms of COVID-19, and workers in the health and aged care sectors.

What are the current COVID-19 testing requirements?

With the omicron variant of COVID-19 spreading rapidly around Australia, crowds at some testing clinics are swelling beyond capacity, and many are reporting significant delays in receiving the results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which are the kind normally carried out at clinics.

In response to this, the Federal Government has announced that anyone who returns a positive rapid antigen test will no longer be required to line up for a PCR test. The Prime Minister said that he hopes this will take some of the pressure off clinics that are struggling to keep up with demand.

Explaining the new rules, the Prime Minister said: “If you are a close contact, as recently redefined, if you are symptomatic, then you need to go and get a test from the testing clinic. If you are not a close contact, if you are not symptomatic, you do not need to get a test.”

The seven-day rolling test for truck drivers will also be removed, people seeking treatment at hospitals no longer need a PCR test before entry and most states and territories have removed the requirement for a second test after arriving from overseas.

What currently constitutes a close contact in Australia?

By the Federal Government’s current definition, a close contact is someone who has spent four hours or more with a confirmed case in a household or household-like setting, such as a residential care facility, per ABC News reports.

When announcing this new definition, Prime Minister Morrison said that the call was a “practical” one, intended to take the pressure off testing clinics and limit the number of people lining up for PCR tests.

It is worth keeping in mind that states and territories have their own definitions of what constitutes a close contact, which may differ from the Federal Government. Local health authorities in the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia have their own individual close contact advice.

→ Read more What do rapid antigen tests cost and where can you get them?

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