Travellers from interstate hotspots will be capable to use a damaging fast antigen take a look at to cross the Queensland border.
'From January 1, travellers into Qld from interstate hotspots can use a damaging Speedy Antigen Take a look at to fulfill border cross necessities,' Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk tweeted on Wednesday.
'A PCR take a look at will now not be required. Extra particulars in our morning media convention.'
The U-turn comes after renewed requires Queensland to cease forcing travellers to provide a damaging PCR take a look at earlier than getting into the state, which has seen the necessity for assessments skyrocket.
1000's of Australians on summer season vacation break have been pressured to get examined earlier than attending occasions, travelling interstate or being reunited with household.
Guests to Queensland had required a damaging PCR take a look at inside 72 hours of coming to the state.
The federal authorities has been urging states to modify to permitting travellers to provide fast antigen take a look at outcomes at border checkpoints as a substitute.
The decision had been echoed by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.
NSW has seen greater than 600,000 PCR assessments performed since Christmas Eve, with one quarter of all swabs given to wholesome travellers trying to hop the border for a summer season getaway.
'This isn't the precise strategy. It's clogging up the system. It's placing folks in prolonged queues that aren't crucial,' Mr Perrottet mentioned.
'There are folks getting assessments who have no signs, aren't feeling unwell, which are required to get assessments and taking the place of people who find themselves unwell or who're required to get a take a look at from NSW Well being.'
Folks in NSW and the ACT have queued for hours, with some testing clinics hitting capability early within the morning as demand is heightened by these eager to journey.
That state of affairs is now anticipated to ease with the swap to fast antigen assessments.
The assessments solely take about quarter-hour to return a consequence and could be finished at house, costing wherever from $30 for a two pack or $50 for a 5 pack.
Nevertheless the nation nonetheless faces a crippling scarcity of the RAT kits, with chemist cabinets naked and hefty worth tags for these which can be found.
Mr Perrottet warned on Tuesday his state would not obtain an order of 20 million fast antigen assessments till the tip of January.
Australia is known to be transporting extra assessments from abroad by air with the assessments repackaged from bulk packs so that they might be offered in chemists.
Main grocery store chains Woolworths and Coles have capped the quantity of assessments that may be purchased per buyer to deal with demand.
Coles clients can solely purchase two packs every, with 5 packs of the assessments obtainable on-line however the two packs at the moment offered out.
Woolworths has restricted clients to 10 self-test kits of both 5 x two packs or two x 5 packs and has fully offered out on-line.
The swap to RAT kits comes after Queensland well being minister Yvette D'Ath axed the PCR take a look at guests wanted on day 5 of a visit to the sunshine state.
Of the tens of 1000's of travellers who've crossed state traces since Queensland reopened its border, solely 0.6 per cent have examined constructive within the day 5 take a look at.
Chief Well being Officer John Gerrard mentioned scrapping the PCR assessments will enable well being assets to be 'higher used' elsewhere - together with testing those that have been uncovered to a recognized an infection.
'It isn't contributing in any option to the protection of Queenslanders and that useful resource can be utilized higher elsewhere,' he mentioned.
However the requirement for a PCR take a look at earlier than arrival in Queensland remained till the Premier's tweet on Wednesday morning.
Queensland case numbers surged previous 1000 for the primary time with 1158 reported on Tuesday, whereas South Australia hit a brand new day by day file of 995 infections.
New South Wales has suffered a file 11,201 new Covid-19 circumstances and three deaths on Wednesday, practically double the 6,062 infections introduced on Tuesday.
There are 625 Covid sufferers in hospital, up from the 557 on Tuesday, however only one further particular person is in ICU with a complete of 61 folks.
Victoria additionally noticed a big leap in circumstances with 3,767 new infections and 5 deaths on Wednesday, in comparison with the two,738 introduced a day earlier.
Hospitalisations within the southern state are at 397, a slight leap from the 361 sufferers receiving care on Tuesday.