Rapid Antigen Testing is now widely accepted as the preferred method you should use to determine if you have COVID-19. More than 200 million rapid antigen tests, ordered by the federal and state governments, are said to arrive in Australia over the next two months.

You are permitted to test at a walk-in or drive-through test facility if you have COVID-19 symptoms or have been advised to do so by health officials due to you being named as a close contact. Testing sites will begin administering rapid antigen tests to help ease the pressure on pathology labs.

If you are symptomatic but have been unable to get into a public test facility, you are able to self-test with a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT). If you test positive on a self-test, follow these steps.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on January 4 that free RATs will be provided to seniors, pensioners, low-income residents and some veterans who hold concession cards. They will be entitled to 10 free tests over a three-month period, with the tests becoming available through pharmacies within the next two weeks. Supply for the rest of the country is still expected to be constrained for some time. If you're having trouble finding rapid antigen tests, try this website: findarat.com.au

Mr Morrison said he didn’t want symptomatic people to go to pharmacies to get tests, instead going straight to a testing centre.

“You get a free RAT test at the testing centre. If you are symptomatic [or] a close contact, you can go to the testing centre as many times as you need to. All of those tests are free,” he said.

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