Australia to allow overseas passengers with rapid test

Bloomberg

Australia will allow international air travelers to enter the country if they provide results from a rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours of departure.
A RAT must be undertaken by or under the supervision of a medical practitioner that includes pharmacists or trained personnel at an authorized airport testing station, the Ministry of Health said on its website Saturday in Sydney. The change is effective from 1 am Sunday.
Until now any incoming traveler needed to provide a negative PCR test within three days of departure, creating the risk a person may get infected after the test and before embarking. In addition, the global spread of omicron has dramatically increased demand for PCR testing which has impacted access for those wanting pre-departure certification.
“This change will make it easier for Australians to return home,” Health Minister Greg Hunt said in a televised news conference. “It recognizes the global reality of a more infectious but less severe strain and the challenge that it has created internationally in terms of access to PCR tests.”
A negative PCR test result will continue to be accepted, the ministry said. The government will allow people who provide verification that they have recovered from Covid-19 to travel seven days after their positive test the ministry said.