GRNSW brings in three-minute Rapid Antigen Test to keep industry running
By Matthew Benns - Daily Telegraph
The eyes of Australia will be on the NSW greyhound industry as they introduce a first-in-the-nation three-minute Covid test.
Greyhound Racing NSW is introducing Australia’s first three minute Rapid Antigen Test in a pioneering move that could show the way for freeing up the rest of the state.
The three minute CovClear test kits are imported from the UK and policed by Australian software to ensure the results cannot be tampered with.
They will be used when industry participants have not had both vaccination shots and help protect an industry that contributes more than $500 million a year to the NSW economy.
“We wanted to take a business and community leadership position on this issue,” Greyhound Racing NSW chief executive Tony Mestrov said.
“We didn’t want to make mandatory rules on vaccination, but we must make our industry workplaces – whether they be racetracks, offices or greyhound adoption centres safe for all.
The new 3-minute RAT is complementary to being double vaccinated, but our employees and participants must have one or the other.”
The three minute tests are imported into Australia from the US by Queensland company Gardian and have been given the green light for use by the Australian Reguister of Therapeutic Goods.
“GRNSW, who we have been working closely with on this, will be the first organisation to implement this 3-minute test in Australia,” Gardian chief executive Graham Gordon said.
“The GRNSW policy is the perfect blueprint for broader freedoms for all Australians. I think it’s trailblazing policy that lights a pathway for industry across the board,” he said.
“We believe it’s a potential game-changer for wider industry sectors across business, and schools,” he said. “Imagine using it for concerts or even going to the pub, who wants to have to queue for a test and then wait even longer for a result.”
The CovClear test costs $20 and works with a shallow nasal swab that is then dropped into a solution in a tamper-proof vial and sealed with a test strip that gives the result in three minutes.
It is backed up by software that is already in use in several NSW government departments and on TV productions including The Voice and Married At First Sight.
Racing Minister Kevin Anderson welcomed the rapid testing initiative. “Greyhound racing is a significant employer in both regional and metropolitan NSW and contributes significantly to our state’s economy. The industry held strong during the worst of the Covid pandemic and it will be fantastic to see the industry welcome fans back trackside as soon as it is possible to do so safely under the Public Health Orders,” he said.
Leading NSW trainer Michelle Sultana was delighted that GRNSW was being proactive in their approach to keeping their participants safe.
“I have had my first vaccine shot, and from a personal perspective I would encourage everyone to get vaccinated so we eventually get back to some sort of normal,” she said.
“I do understand that some people are hesitant and haven’t done it yet, so I think this policy which GRNSW are introducing with the Rapid Antigen Testing, is not only inclusive, it also will make everyone who has done the right thing and been vaccinated feel more comfortable and safe attending racetracks.”
