The program started on Monday and will be progressively rolled out to other interested aged care facilities.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, says the program will allow fast Covid-19 screening of aged care residents and visitors to be done on-site and more regularly.
“Given the rate at which we know the Delta variant can be spread between people, the very fast turnaround of RAT – around 15 minutes – makes these tests useful in preventing asymptomatic transmission and outbreaks as they can be used on a daily basis,” the Minister said.
“Sadly, the pandemic’s toll in Australia last year was highest among aged care residents. That is why, along with the increased infection control training and vaccinations, we are looking at further innovations such as RAT to provide an additional layer of protection for the most vulnerable Australians.
“We anticipate that regular use of RAT to screen aged care employees and visitors will provide much greater reassurance for those employees, their managers, residents, and families.”
