Health Minister Greg Hunt claims it is “dangerous” to provide free rapid antigen tests to all Australians, as their use could blow out to 10 million a day, taking supply away from those most in need.
Speaking at a press conference at Parliament House on Tuesday, Mr Hunt announced the next phase of Australia’s “Omicron response plan” amid increasing pressure on hospitals due to staff shortages.
He said one of the main elements would be activating a private hospital agreement, which was established in March 2020, to send 57,000 nurses and more than 100,000 staff to assist in the public health sector.
He was later asked to give a message to Australians who wanted free RATs widely available to all.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has been calling on the Morrison government to make the tests free through Medicare, after initially saying they should be subsidised.
Mr Hunt labelled it a “very dangerous and irresponsible policy”, claiming 10 million tests could be used a day.
“If you had the daily use of 10 million a day over 100 days, that’s a billion tests,” he said.
“If you had it over 300 days, that’s three billion tests.
“Their policy if you calculate it out, could lead to anywhere from one to three billion tests, destroy the supply chain, take the tests away from the hospitals, from those that are sick and from close contacts in critical industries.
“It’s not a matter of cost – it’s a matter of supply chain and of diverting those tests from people who most need them.”
Mr Hunt was also asked whether the government got it wrong by not doing more to ensure there was widespread supply.
He said they were in the market “early” but testing was a state government responsibility.
“We were in the market in August last year, we provided 5.6 million RATs to our area of responsibility, the aged care sector, prior to now, another 100,000 today, another three million coming, which I’ve announced and referred to today,” he said.
“We have secured 70 million tests.
“Testing has always been the state’s responsibility, but we’re supporting them with 10 million tests.
“Different states and territories have started at different times and we’ve had continuous supply through that period.”
xjmtzywBut Mr Hunt was then pressed specifically about whether the federal government had failed to secure enough private at-home use supply of RATs before the end of last year.
“The balance of responsibility has always been that the states had principal responsibility for testing,” he answered.
He said the states had followed the advice of the medical expert panel – made up of chief health officers and the chief medical officer – to use PCR tests over RATs at that time.
“That’s been very clear that one of the things that has protected Australia has been the use of PCR tests,” he said.
He said this approach had saved lives, not taking any further questions from reporters.
“So I would stand by our medical advisers on what they have given us,” he said.
“Now the states have entered the market and have supplemented the PCR tests with those additional tests they have secured, all up of over 200 million across Commonwealth and state.”
