Encouraging Public to Use DIY COVID-19 Test Kits

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the Ministry’s plan to encourage the public to adopt usage of DIY COVID-19 test kits; (b) how will the Ministry ensure that those with indicative positive test results will voluntarily inform doctors for further testing; and (c) whether frontline workers can be provided with financial support to procure the kits when the current testing regimes are no longer in place.

One of the ways to encourage the use of COVID-19 self-test kits is to make them generally available. Hence, Antigen Rapid Test (ART) self-test kits have been available for sale at most retail pharmacies since 16 June 2021. From 16 July 2021, we will extend the sale of the ART self-test kits to general retailers like supermarkets and convenience stores.

The ART self-test kits are currently sold with instructional materials on what to do following an ART self-test. Individuals are advised that if they tested positive, they should visit any one of the over 630 conveniently located Swab and Send Home (SASH) clinics islandwide immediately for a confirmatory Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test which is fully funded by the Government. We hope individuals will exercise responsibility to help keep the community safe.

We will also leverage employers to ensure that test protocols are observed. By mid-July, workers in settings where there are unmasked individuals or where there is prolonged contact with clients, such as those in the Food and Beverage sector, will be required to routinely test themselves using Fast and Easy Tests (FETs) such as ARTs.