Free rapid Covid tests for all concession card-holders

[bear]

Coalition won’t budge on free rapid Covid tests for all but concession card-holders are covered

More than 6 million people with a concession card will be given 10 free rapid antigen tests over the next three months as Australia reports 64,000 cases

Up to 10 rapid antigen tests will be offered free to more than 6 million concession card-holders under a new national cabinet agreement but everyone else who is not a close contact of a case and symptomatic will still have to pay.

State and territory leaders met on Wednesday to consider how to overcome the national testing crisis which has seen pathology services overwhelmed, rapid tests in short supply, and price gouging by some retailers.

Dismissing growing calls for universal free access to rapid antigen tests (RATs), the prime minister, Scott Morrison, said national cabinet had agreed to provide the tests to concession card-holders through the national pharmacy network.

Supplies will become available within the next two weeks and limited to 10 each over the next three months – with no more than five per month.

Scott Morrison’s dereliction of duty over rapid Covid tests is a threat to Australians’ public safety

The 6.6 million people eligible include those with commonwealth seniors cards, healthcare cards, low-income cards, pension cards and DVA gold and white cards.

Read full article:- www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jan/05/coalition-wont-budge-on-free-rapid-covid-tests-for-all-but-concession-card-holders-are-covered

[ann]

Mid north coast NSW it’s becoming so common there will be little point even testing for it soon. The test kits are totally not available anyway. Supermarket shelves are running out of some stock that’s for sure. Got two test kits last week for $25, that’s not cheap as it’s single use. I can see people not bothering, or if they do and are positive not divulging it. Find it hard to believe we are in the third year, I didn’t think it would last this long.

[bear]

Yes ann , things seem to be getting worse alright, not better; and on so many fronts too.

This variant has put CQ on edge with the number of cases that keep emergeing there. The Rockhampton hospital is cancelling all non urgent surgery from tomorrow to free up staff and resources according to a friend who was booked in for a colonoscopy due to a failed at home test. That's quite concerning  for him being put on the non urgent list.

Biggest worry is the variants just keep coming and the skeptic in me says that suits the current government just fine as it gives them the leeway to delay the election for as long as possible. It'd be hard to argue against that, given these figures. Cheers bear

[mspurple]

Lmao. Seriously I would like to know- what good are the free tests? It is not too hard to see we are all going to get covid now!

We have so many recorded cases in my town of (3000) same at my preferred town of (800) thanks to Christmas and new years freedoms and I can guarantee that much much less than half with symptoms would have gone to get tested so the numbers will be so high that there is no way it is safe anywhere around here now. We are all going to get it sooner or later and I think sooner is probably better.
Third year of this silliness and home imprisonment and now as the numbers rise in a scary rush the restrictions lift and less people care about following any kind of safe practices.... pretty sure it is safer now to find a way to rise natural immunities given the government failed to keep us safe with their BS pretend measures- it was about control not health all the choices they made. The international borders were never shut properly (rich, workers in need or good at playing necessary sport and we will just let you in regardless of risk to the country) and they wonder why we did not gain control of the virus lol.
I am angry that it is so out of control so fast and I am angry I have lost a lot of my freedoms along with my immune health due to being locked in isolation for the better part of 2 years, I am even angrier that I had a vaccine I never wanted to do the right thing when the government did not do the right thing. If I had of known they were going to allow the numbers to get this far out of control then I would not have had the vaccine- I do not have the flu shot and I am the only person I know of who never catches what everyone else gets and spreads every winter.
I do not think they should be allowed to get away with stopping any un vaccinated people shopping or visiting anywhere especially medical assistance.... if the vaccine they shiftily forced/manipulated us to have works then why are we worrying about the ones who have chosen natural immunity- we should be covered well enough from them being a threat by our vaccine.
I hate this whole thing and if I feel I am unwell at any point in the future I will not be having a test I will just stay home.
I refuse to conform to this stupidity any longer- I will sit on the sidelines and watch those around me conform instead.


Sorry for my mental rant bear, feel free to censor or remove- just needed to say something about the joke we are now living.

[bear]

No need for any censorship in that post from me at least mspurple . I thought you put things rather nicely, in the manner that so many globally probably see and feel it.

I've been constantly amazed at how things seem to be in lockstep right around the world, the timelines you can set your calendar by, if not your watch. Eg. Aww everything seems to be quietening down.....ooops, school holidays in a fortnight. Drama on steroids again!!

Many would say it's just a coincidence. The thing is, coincidences aren't a 'just a' or some random event that many people seem to see them as. "Just a coincidence." Yeah right....

In my world a coincidence is a deliberate co-incidence to allow a building job to run smoothly from one step to the next in order to maximize time and keep the various subbies gainfully employed over several different jobsites in order to have a successful company. Seems to me to have been many coincidences in that vein over the last two years. Excellent management of purpose creates coincidences.....

It's been a global Circus; except for the excessive deaths in the early days i.e. Italy, China and America with it's refrigerated trucks lined up in NYC. Not many will ever forget the horror of India when Delta hit. All things considered and the such similar measures taken by so many divergent governments, it does seem to have now turned into somewhat of a charade, much more about testing the waters of whether or not the global population will be mostly willing to comply to orders for humanities good, irrespective of what they may have been originally based on.

Well for the most part I think the vast majority did comply!! Now it's all personal responsibility, everyone for themselves; because governments have given up, tossed their hands in the air and seem to be intimating; she'll all be orrite if you all just go out and catch it..... Absolute madness!!

Personally; I feel like I've been sent to an alternative reality that's locked into a never-ending downward spiral..... Nevermind; as crazy as it all seems I have faith in the both of us to see it through!! Take care "S"; cheers bear

Maybe we'll both get censored.....    Maybe it's been a compliance exercise to reassure the aliens that we won't eat them...