West Australians were told they could get their hands on five free rapid antigen tests, but the $50m scheme has already been plagued by glitches.
Premier Mark McGowan announced on Sunday that in an Australian first, more than one million households across the state would be provided with five kits after registering online.
People were given the option of having the kits mailed in the post or picking them up at Perth Airport.
“Every West Australian deserves to have access to a rapid test, no matter who they are and no matter where they live across WA,” Mr McGowan said.
While many praised the move, multiple people also complained that they had received an email claiming their home address had already been registered.
One person wrote on social media: “Myself and two others all from separate households have received an email saying ‘Our records show the home address you have nominated has already registered for a free RAT kit’. I can see many others are having this issue too.”
Another person commented: “I tried to register for mine but I received an email that my address was already registered. It’s not. How can I register now for my free tests. Who do I call to fix this error. I know it’s happened to a few people.”
Another person said: “We just tried to register for our free RAT tests and someone else has already used our address to register for some. This is very disappointing and obviously a flaw in the system!”
Some people have also complained about receiving two or three confirmation emails from the state government.
A spokesperson for the premier said “an issue with the sequencing of emails” had led to some people receiving an “address claimed” notification.
“We are working through this issue and will advise if people need to reorder their kit,” a spokesperson said.
“Separate to this, an issue with the address validation process has, in some cases, resulted in duplication of emails going out.
“This issue does not mean those who have received multiple emaixjmtzywls won’t receive a RAT via delivery or be able to collect their kit.
“If they have an order number, they will still receive a delivery or be able to collect their RAT.”
People can register for their free RATs here.
They should allow for up to 15 business days for delivery from when they receive their confirmation email, with regional areas being prioritised initially.
Meanwhile, Mr McGowan’s chief of staff Daniel Pastorelli and Water Minister Dave Kelly were among 1021 local cases reported on Sunday.
“This morning I received a positive Covid PCR result,” Mr Kelly tweeted on Sunday.
“I will be working from home. I feel very fortunate to be in a country where vaccines are freely available. Many are not.
“Thanks again to our health workers and public sector staff who are getting us through the pandemic.”
WA has recently been recording more than 1000 cases per day.
The hard border will come down on Thursday.
