ACT government to supply tests to disability support workers

ACT Minister for Disability Emma Davidson told a hearing on Tuesday that work had started on ensuring disability home support services could access rapid antigen tests.

She said the Commonwealth had provided supply to people in supported independent living but there were services beyond this that needed access.

This included people receiving residential aged care services in the home, people with disability receiving services at home and non-government organisations which provide support to those experience homelessness and victims of domestic and family violence.

"[The] ACT government is stepping up and making sure that those organisations have access to the tests, not by saying we'll pay for them if you can find them on the private market when there's absolutely not on the shelf to buy," Ms Davidson said.

"But by saying we're going to make sure that you actually get supply of the tests that you need, so that you can spend your time actually delivering services to people safely."

MORE COVID-19 NEWS:

There were 904 new COVID-19 cases reported in the ACT on Tuesday. Most of the positive results came from PCR tests at 546 and there were 358 positive rapid antigen test results.

A Canberra woman in her 80s died with COVID-19 in the ACT. There have been 25 COVID-19 deaths in the ACT since the start of the pandemic.

There are 67 COVID-19 patients in Canberra hospitals. Three are in intensive care and one is being ventilated.

The ACT is expected to receive a further 300,000 rapid antigen tests this week. About 200,000 tests arrived on Monday and 160,000 landed last Friday.

About 2.5 million are expected to arrive in the ACT over February.

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