The State Government's WA free RAT program continues to expand to provide Western Australians with easy access to free rapid antigen tests (RATs).
Three drive-through sites across the Perth metropolitan area will open from tomorrow (May 18) in Joondalup, Jandakot and Bassendean to provide Western Australians who are close contacts with more convenient options for collecting their RATs.
Close contacts with no symptoms can leave their place of isolation provided they undertake a daily RAT, wear a mask at all times outside the home and avoid high-risk settings.
Vaccination clinics in the Perth metropolitan area and regional collection points at testing clinics will also continue to distribute free RATs for close contacts. To access free RATs at these locations, close contacts with no symptoms are required to verbally confirm they are a close contact to access their 10 free RATs and can collect on behalf of others in their household - up to a maximum of 30 RATs.
People who registered to receive free RATs but experienced delivery issues have now been emailed and can choose to either pick up their RATs from a collection point or ask for the RATs to be redelivered to their address. People who are collecting their household RAT allocation must show the email they received when they selected to collect their RATs.
A full list of collection points and opening hours is available at WA.gov.au
People who return a positive RAT result must register their result online with the Department of Health. Those who do not have access to the online registration system must still report their positive test result by contacting 13 COVID (13 26843).
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
"We want to make it as easy as possible for close contacts to access free RATs in order to fulfil their daily testing requirements.
"The new drive-through collection points make it even more convenient for the community to pick up RATs.
"The 2022-23 Budget includes $1.6 billion in COVID-19 response measures to support the community, including making sure free RATs are readily available for the community."
As stated by Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"The WA free RAT program continues to support close contacts in the community all over the State in managing the impacts of COVID-19.
"Drive-through collection sites mean that fewer close contacts are attending vaccination clinics and mixing with vulnerable members in the community who are receiving their winter booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.
"I am proud of the efforts of Western Australians in doing the right thing and playing their part in accessing RATs as needed in order to help keep the community safe."
