Access to PCR testing will be tightened as part of the Australian Labor government’s moves to transition the country away from “COVID exceptionalism.”
On Dec. 12, the federal government launched its $2.8 billion National COVID-19 Health Management Plan for 2023 developed based on advice from the country’s Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly.
The plan outlines how the country will manage the virus over the next 12 months.
“While we are learning more about the virus and its impacts on the community and health systems all the time, we are not yet at a ’steady state' where we can predict and manage it within normal systems. This means health response measures are still required.”
What does the Plan include?
The current National Plan will focus on promoting the uptake of vaccines, empowering communities to protect themselves, taking pressure off the hospital system, and bolstering the National Medical Stockpile safety net.“The National Plan provides clear guidance to the community and health care providers on how the Australian Government will play its part in managing COVID-19 into the future,” said Health Minister Mark Butler in a statement.
“We will continue to protect those most at risk while ensuring we have the capacity to respond to future waves and variants.”
Chief Medical Officer Kelly said COVID-19 continued to pose an evolving threat to Australians.
“The likely emergence of new variants, including those able to partially evade immune responses, means the Australian community can expect to experience new waves on a regular basis for at least the next two years,” according to his advice in the National Plan.
Kelly said the government would respond to the waves as they come with a particular focus on protecting at-risk community members.
PCR Testing Availability to be Tightened
As part of the move away from COVID exceptionalism, testing requirements will also be aligned with other respiratory conditions.“Testing for COVID-19 will no longer be a surveillance tool but will be more targeted and used to ensure quick access to antiviral treatments,” the National Plan said.
“From 1 January 2023, to obtain a Medicare-funded PCR test you will require a referral from a medical or nurse practitioner. There is no public health requirement or recommendation for low-risk individuals to seek PCR testing.”
Access to COVID-19 treatments can then be provided after a positive test result is received.
PCR tests were the lynchpin of many Australian government health restrictions during the pandemic with individuals requiring negative test results to cross domestic borders for much of 2021.
During the Christmas season of that year, pathology firms were overwhelmed with the number of tests needing to be processed as Australians attempted to join loved ones or visit holiday destinations once domestic border restrictions had been slightly eased.
