Not a R.A.T in sight in the Douglas Shire

Covid-19

Howard Salkow

Senior Journalist

Email Howard
Last updated:
Health Minister Greg Hunt (above) said the tests won't be free to everyone.

The Palaszczuk Government may have secured 18 million State Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT), but pharmacists in the Douglas Shire have none in stock and cannot order at this time.

“We are getting numerous calls each day and our message is no different to the rest of the country. We simply do not have any in stock after initially having an abundance,” said Brad Reilly, proprietor of Livelife Pharmacy.

In a statement yesterday, the Queensland premier said the RAT tests will arrive in smaller numbers over the coming week or so, with a large volume expected in late January.

Queenslanders with COVID-19 symptoms should continue to attend a Queensland Health or private testing centre to undertake a PCR test.

The Premier said the additional 12 million RAT test kits were in addition to Queensland Health’s stockpile of almost 6 million point of care RATs for use within the hospital system.

Meanwhile, there are media reports that more than 100 million rapid tests would be coming into the country over the next two months.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said while states and territories have ordered 84 million of the rapid tests, which will be made available in coming weeks, he reiterated the tests won’t be made free to everyone.

And Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the rapid tests would not be rolled out for free to the public, despite COVID-19 case numbers exploding in recent days and hospitalisations also rising.

 
Nothing for free

“We’re now in a stage of the pandemic where you can’t just go around making everything free.

“When someone tells you they want to make something free, someone’s always going to pay for it, and it’s going to be you,” he told Channel 7.

NewsCorp, meanwhile is reporting that 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. 

 
How it works:

Rapid antigen tests use a nasal swab or saliva sample to test for the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19.

You can easily perform the test at home and should get your results within 20 minutes.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved several rapid antigen self-tests for use in Australia.

Read the consumer fact sheet.

Thank you!

Newsport thanks its advertising partners for their support in the delivery of daily community news to the Douglas Shire. Public interest journalism is a fundamental part of every community.

Got a news tip? Let us know! Send your news tips or submit a letter to the editor here.

* Comments are the opinions of readers and do not represent the views of Newsport, its staff or affiliates. Reader comments on Newsport are moderated before publication to promote valuable, civil, and healthy community debate. Visit our comment guidelines if your comment has not been approved for publication.