Street signs along Sydney’s roads signal a change in NSW health advice with Rapid Antigen Tests now the first line of defence against the COVID-19 virus, in place of PCR tests.
NSW has seen record cases of COVID-19 across the state and huge queues at testing stations. Hospitals are being pushed to the limit. These changes have coincided with the emergence of the Omicron variant and the relaxation of Public Health Orders announced by the NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet late last year. The government has now back-pedalled on its health policy, announcing new regulations that include the banning of singing and dancing in nightclubs and a temporary suspension of elective surgeries.
To compound the issue, some COVID testing stations have closed down due to being overwhelmed, or because of staff shortages in the health system, or because RAT testing has become the de facto primary test. The real reason remains unclear.
Part of an ongoing series, ‘COVID-19 Diaries’.
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