As Australians continue to grapple with a shortage of rapid antigen tests and price gouging described as “beyond outrageous”, a new website has launched in the United States allowing people to order them free to their homes.
The White House on Wednesday (Australian time) said the COVIDTests.gov website for US households to order four free tests amid the Omicron variant surge was up and running one day ahead of schedule.
After people enter their name and address on an online form, the kits will ship within 7-12 days, the government says. People can also call a hotline to place an order.
US residents posted on social media in the hours after the website launch that the process was going smoothly, however there were reports some people experienced difficulties ordering to apartment blocks.
The White House says the government will work with community groups to circulate RATs in the hardest-hit and highest-risk communities.
It comes amid climbing COVID-19 cases in the US and long lines at testing centres comparable to what has been seen in Australia.
The Biden administration has contracted for more than 420 million tests and additional contracts will be awarded over the coming weeks, the White House says. It expects to pay some $5.6 billion to cover the first 500 million tests.
Fighting the pandemic is one of the Biden administration’s top priorities, with the president’s handling of the Omicron surge currently hampering his approval ratings.
The British government has provided free rapid tests through pharmacies and a home delivery service for months.
Australian UK-based comedian Adam Hills said on Twitter earlier this month the discrepancy between the two countries was "mad".
“Rapid Covid Tests are free in the UK. I had 15 in the house. Could have brought them back to Aus and made a fortune,” he wrote.
“Mad to think we have to pay for something in Australia that’s free in England. That’d be like the UK charging people for sunshine.”
'Omicron changed everything'
Meanwhile, amid Australia’s nationwide shortage of RATs, some 42,000 tests worth more than $500,000 have been stolen from a depot in Sydney.
NSW Police were called after a man walked into the freight depot in Mascot on Tuesday afternoon and "took possession" of the tests. Investigations are continuing, police said on Wednesday.
The federal government says 52 million RAT kits will be flown from Asia and the US into Australia this month through an emergency freight supply scheme.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday RAT shortages were not unique to Australia.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Source: AAP
Asked by reporters whether the government could have done more to secure additional RATs last year, Mr Morrison said Australia was “in the market” for them in August 2021, which was the same time there was a Pfizer vaccine shortage.
“The priority at that time, of course, was to be rolling out the vaccination program,” Mr Morrison said.
“We met what we said we'd do last year, and that was to get Australia double vaccinated over the course of that year.”
Mr Morrison said authorities had to make assumptions at the time about what the demand would be like for RATs in the future, which was before “Omicron changed everything”.
“In June or August we were [grappling with the] Delta [variant]. In June or August we were not in Omicron. Omicron completely changed all of the expectations. All of them,” he said.
Amid , Australia’s competition watchdog has promised massive fines for retailers found to be marking up RATs.
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chairman Rod Sims said on Monday the watchdog had received a number of “extremely concerning reports” about price gouging, including one instance of a single test being advertised for more than $1,000 online.
Some tests have reportedly cost $70 through smaller retail outlets, according to the ACCC, despite wholesale costs ranging between $3.95 and $11.45 per test.
Common reports found rapid antigen tests being sold for between $20 to $30 per test.
With Reuters, AAP.
