Businesses could be forced to close their doors if the city's rapid antigen testing shortage continues.
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Pharmacist Nick Buete of Amcal Albury said chemists across the region have run out of tests.
"I think we're like everyone in Albury-Wodonga in that we don't have any and we're not sure when we'll get any and we're getting 100 phone calls a day asking if have them," he said.
Australian Industry Group's Tim Farrah holds concerns about what the shortage could mean for businesses when the manufacturing sector restarts next week.
"Supplies are really scarce," he said.
"I guess good thing a lot of manufacturing and engineering businesses have taken a break, that's really eased the burden right throughout the region but a lot are coming back to work on the 7th and we do need to get a hold [of rapid antigen tests] fairly quickly."
Mr Farrah said without tests factories could be forced to close down lines or even close their doors.
"In some manufacturing sectors if part of a line can't operate, it could shut the whole facility," he said.
"If you have three or four people with the same skills and they're the only people in business with those skills and they can't get tested and can't get to work, it doesn't take long to escalate to the point a factory can't open.
"Having got over drought, bushfires and the first two years COVID it'd be such a shame to see industry people missing out on work purely because they can't get hold of tests."
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Mr Buete said demand for tests had soared in December.
"In the last couple of weeks if we put 60 on the shelf, we sell 60 in two hours," he said.
Mr Buete believes supply issues should have been sorted before state governments announced moves to require rapid antigen testing to cross state lines.
He said many people trying to get hold of tests were frustrated by the shortage and unclear on how to travel interstate when they can't buy a test.
"Prior to changing policy such as requiring rapid test to get into certain states, what would have been sensible would have been to make sure people would be able to [get tests and] do that," he said.
The pharmacist welcomed news out of Thursday's national cabinet that the government would be supplying rapid antigen tests for free through testing centres to people who require them according to public policy, such as interstate travel requirements.
However, Mr Buete worries about what the decision will mean for broader supply and for those who want rapid antigen tests for other reasons.
"We're all a little worried now the government has decided they're going to purchase a large amount of tests to distribute to testing centres, I think it will most likely create a problem [for businesses] trying to buy them and sell them in retail... there's only so much stock," he said. "It's good they're going to buy a bunch but it could impact the wider population who want them for reasons other than travel. Originally when rapid antigen tests came out a lot people were using them for screening prior to say an 80th birthday party.
"The government is not going to see supplying 20 tests to a family ahead of party as a priority but then what do they do?"
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