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Australia to ramp up coronavirus testing with millions of new kits

By Colin Packham

 

FILE PHOTO: Masked church volunteers organise food donations before distributing them to those in need, an approved essential service during the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at One1Seven evangelical Anglican church in Sydney, Australia, April 17, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia has secured 10 million COVID-19 test kits, Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Wednesday, as Canberra begins widespread testing that it hopes will sustain a decline in new coronavirus cases and allow social restrictions to be lifted.

 

Australia - home to 25.7 million people - has confirmed about 6,700 cases of the novel coronavirus and just 88 deaths, way below figures reported in the United States and other hotspots, a result the government attributes to social distancing restrictions and testing.

 

Authorities plan to expand testing this week to include people who do not show symptoms, a move the government says is vital to allow the easing of restrictions and the reopening of parts of the economy shut down by the outbreak.

 

“Testing is necessary to detect and control outbreaks, if physical distancing measures are to be relaxed,” Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said in an emailed statement.

 

The kits were secured from China by Fortescue Metals Group founder Andrew Forrest.

 

Victoria state said it would open mobile units that can test people in their homes, offices and while out shopping. New South Wales state Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged care workers and anyone with the "slightest sniffle" to get tested.

 

With new infections growing at barely 1% a day, compared to 25% a month ago, several states are already beginning to ease restrictions including at Sydney's famous Bondi Beach.

 

(Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Stephen Coates)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-29

 

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[samran]

Good to see. Now Australia has it contained it can work on testing more people to see if the virus is still hiding in the community. 
 

It will be curious to see how many asymptotic people are actually carrying it. 

[MikeN]

Quote

The kits were secured from China by Fortescue Metals Group founder Andrew Forrest.

Well I hope Twiggy has actually got the kits, considering how the Chinese have spat the dummy over the calls for an investigation into how COVID spread.

[Tropposurfer]

A good way to use your billions Andy ! Good on ya mate :)????

[Mick501]

Good on ya Twiggy.  A truly great Australian (even if he does it all through his charity and claims the tax write off).

[Iron Tongue]

I was hoping "don't be from China" as I was reading this article, but unfortunately, these kits are from China.  

Kits from China have been found to work only 30% of the time.  Several nations are demanding refunds from Chinese companies for useless test kits...

[simple1]

3 hours ago, Iron Tongue said:

I was hoping "don't be from China" as I was reading this article, but unfortunately, these kits are from China.  

Kits from China have been found to work only 30% of the time.  Several nations are demanding refunds from Chinese companies for useless test kits...

One would expect QA sampling tests are finalised prior to deployment.