South Australians living in regional and outer metro areas will now have greater access to a Rapid Antigen Testing collection site, with eight new LGA's where pick-up locations will be based announced today.
This comes a day after the supersite in Adelaide's south parklands opened, which has already seen 10,000 bookings and lines moving as quickly as 15 minutes for those wanting access to free home testing kits.
LGA's where pick-up locations will be based:
- Mt Gambier
- Pt Augusta
- Charles Sturt
- Berri/Barmera
- Murray Bridge
- Port Adelaide Enfield
- Charles Sturt
- Onkaparinga
The exact location of the new collection sites and when they will become operational will be announced in coming days, but South Australians should expect them to be up and running within the next ten days.
Planning is also underway for even more LGA's and sites to be stood up over the coming fortnight.
Premier Marshall said that using RAT to test close contacts is the next step in our plan to tackle the Omicron outbreak and ensuring everyone in the state has access to these home test collection sites is vital.
"Providing greater and easier access to RATs is an important step as we enter the next stage of our response," Premier Marshall said.
"Offering two free RATs for people who are considered close contacts, will allow us to increase the number of tests taken so we can get a clearer picture of how many COVID positive people are in the community," Premier Marshall said.
"I ask all South Australians to work with us as we make this pivot in our testing regime, it's a big change so it will take some time to get used to," Premier Marshall said.
"If you don't have immediate access to a RAT test and you are a close contact, or of course have symptoms, please continue to use the over 80 PCR testing sites we have across the state.
A guide to the new process:
- If you have been identified as a close contact - either by a positive case, directly by SA Health, or due to being at an identified exposure location - you will now have to register yourself through the SA Health website. You can register on behalf of another close contact. Make sure you provide their information when completing the form to ensure results are reported accurately. To register please follow this site: www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/COVIDRapidAntigenTesting
- Once a close contact has registered online, they will receive a confirmation email and text message that will need to be shown at the RAT pick up point.
- The tests can be administered at home on the days you are required to test.
- Those who registered as close contacts will then receive another text message, and as part of this new process, will be legally required to report their positive result online - or by phone if the person does not have internet access.
