State government releases 10,000 rapid antigen tests
The Victorian government is to place 10,000 rapid antigen tests (RATs) from the government supply into the hands of the state’s ports and freight sector.
The move comes as freight and logistics operators nationwide face huge challenges keeping supply chains running smoothly due to the pandemic’s new strains.
“The Victorian Government appreciates the ongoing efforts of the freight sector delivering the goods in trying times,” state ports and freight minister Melissa Horne stated in an industry update.
“Keeping workers safe is a key priority of Government. We acknowledge the challenges doing so presents in a time of supply chain constraints and product shortages.
“To help with this, we’ve allocated 10,000 rapid antigen tests (RATs) from the government supply to be provided at cost to the ports sector and land freight operators who support ports.
“This is part of the Government’s first major delivery of 3 million RATs from a bulk order of 44 million – to assist the key workforces keeping Victoria moving.
“The Department of Transport will shortly provide further information to industry about RAT orders and distribution.”
The RAT kits these will be available to companies in the sector on a cost recovery basis of $6 plus GST per kit.
Container Transport Alliance Australia (CTAA) welcomed the move and registered its hope that other state governments, such as New South Wales and Queensland will work closely with the container logistics sector to also offer the availability of government RAT stocks while community sources of RAT kits is scarce.
“CTAA has been in constant contact with the Victorian Government through the Port Minister’s office, Freight Victoria [Department of Transport] and other government departments, to keep them informed about the severe operational strains caused by Covid-related labour absenteeism,” it stated.
“This is in the face of continued high import & export demand and a slowing of logistics velocity at the customer end of the supply chain, again due to labour shortages and slowing import product demand.
“We’ve also stressed the real problems in being able to take advantage of the Covid ‘close contact’ isolation period exemption for critical workers, including ports and freight workers, to return to work in the furloughed seven-day period due to the scarcity of available . . . kits.
“Therefore, CTAA has welcomed this initiative by the Victorian Government and applauds the Government’s willingness to support container logistics as a critical sector of the Victorian economy in keeping freight flowing through the Port of Melbourne under very challenging operational circumstances.
“The self-administered RAT kits are being allocated on a weekly basis by the Victorian Government, and CTAA is working with the Government and its members to ensure that orders are placed by companies for their forecast need in the forthcoming week.
“This should allow companies to alleviate some of the severe labour shortages by being able to meet the RAT testing frequencies required to bring asymptomatic workers who are close contacts of positive Covid cases in the home back to work safely.”