Outgoing Health Minister Greg Hunt says it would be unwise for the Government to provide free rapid antigen tests, warning of a free-for-all scenario whereby Australians would go to pharmacies, grab test and check to see if they are at risk of passing on an infectious virus.
In a television interview this morning, Mr Hunt said the move to limit supplies was common sense. “If there were no constraints, if they were handed out free, then what we’d see is hordes of people using the rapid tests to see if they are positive for a highly-infectious disease. From there – if they test positive – it would obviously then lead to them isolating in an attempt to reduce the spread of the virus to vulnerable people. We simply can’t have that”.
Mr Hunt said the government’s plan of making tests unaffordable and unavailable made more sense. “Under the more measured approach which we’re recommending, people will be unable to get tested and we’ll have no fucking idea what’s going on, which is much more in keeping with the modus operandi of this government”.
Mr Hunt is retiring at the upcoming election to spend more time doing absolutely nothing.
