Helen Haines, Alam Yoosuff call for free rapid antigen tests for all

It comes as a Finley GP called for the government to make rapid antigen tests free for all to protect society's most vulnerable.

Alam Yoosuff, who is also director of primary health care for Murrumbidgee Local Health District but spoke to The Border Mail in his role as Finley GP, said the un-subsidised cost of rapid antigen tests would be prohibitive to many people.

"We are late to the party with rapid antigen testing in this country and given we are late to the party we are going to see a little bit of a backlog of supply... that will eventually settle," he said.

"My worry is that rapid antigen testing not being freely available for people... the most vulnerable people who need to be tested won't have the means of buying it for that price.

"I would have thought in a public health response in a pandemic situation the government could have had a better approach in rapid antigen testing rather than looking at industry's interest."

Dr Yoosuff said the government was right to move the emphasis away from PCR tests to rapid antigen testing, but should have ensured supplies of rapid antigen tests.

He said given the high case numbers it was no longer practical to PCR test everyone.

Instead it was important people had access to RATs so they could monitor if they were infectious or not.

"People need to know we are in a stage with COVID-19 of knowing whether we are infectious or not rather than whether we are infected or not," he said.

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On Tuesday, Albury Wodonga Health were forced to turn residents away after its Lakeside and Smythe Street COVID testing clinics reached capacity by 8.30am.

The Lakeside clinic had opened early in a bid to beat the heat.

The heat has been a major reason for capacity being reached so early, with industrial cooling units set to arrive for AWH's testing sites "any day now".

AWH executive director of public health Lucie Shanahan said the heat was challenging and required different staffing arrangements.

"But it does also mean that at times, we are reducing the number of lanes that we have open so that we can rotate staff," she said.

"We're in constant conversations with Melbourne around the possibility of additional testing resources and having some relief teams come... we're certainly in the mix for that support, but as everyone I'm sure can appreciate every single testing site across the state is under immense pressure.

"We did close our lines earlier [on Tuesday], just because we don't want people sitting in cars or standing in long queues in this hot weather.

"Certainly as we see the temperature drop towards the end of the week, fingers crossed... we will be able to keep our testing stations open for longer."

Ms Shanahan agreed a lack of availability of RATs was contributing to testing queues.

"We do understand that supplies will start trickling through soon, and so we do hope to see increased availability of rapid antigen tests at supermarkets and pharmacies," she said.

"But we know that in the absence of being able to access a rapid antigen that people are coming forward for PCR testing. So as we're able to balance out access to RAT kits in the coming weeks, we do hope that this will also help balance out the wait lines for PCRs."

Last week Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that rapid antigen tests would be made free through state vaccination clinics for residents who require them by public policy.

Earlier this week he reiterated there would be concessional access in the private market to pensioners and other vulnerable groups, but details were still being worked out.

Dr Haines said the government must do an about-face and make rapid antigen tests free for everyone.

She said health authorities started foreshadowing a move from PCR tests to rapid antigen tests last September.

"The federal government have let us down," she said.

"They haven't ordered the tests when they've had months to do so, we have a supply issue now and the cost means some people are disadvantaged over others and that's just absolutely unacceptable in a public health crisis.

"This is just extraordinary we've seen a delay at every stage of this pandemic when we've had due warning, we have the advantage in Australia of seeing what's happening in the northern hemisphere and again the federal government have waited until we're at crisis point.

"It is amazing that none of that has been planned for, it's more than amazing, it's actually I think an abrogation of duty and I think I'm not surprised that our communities are very confused and angry.

"[Omicron] is already spreading exponentially, people can't do the right thing even if they want to and that's extraordinary in a public health crisis."

Member for Farrer Sussan Ley said it was great to see the community taking initiative and buying rapid antigen tests to protect their families.

She said she has long supported and advocated for the use of rapid antigen tests.

"Recent events have shown just how powerful rapid testing can be in helping manage the pandemic- I welcome the recent National Cabinet decisions to include RAT in our state testing centres and for managing close contacts, to reduce waiting times," she said.

"I am aware of the current shortages of test kits in the private market, and I appreciate that this is frustrating. However, I understand significant new supply will be coming soon. In the meantime, the government is also working on a plan with states and territories to provide concessional access in the private market for pensioners and other vulnerable groups, to help ease the cost burden."

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