However, he did warn it was not as accurate or reliable as the current PCR test.
State Member for Euroa Steph Ryan had called on the state government to implement rapid testing to help Victorians get back on their feet and prevent future statewide lockdowns.
Ms Ryan said rapid antigen tests, which could produce a result in just 15-30 minutes, should be rolled out in high-risk settings including border checkpoints and major events to quickly identify infectious individuals.
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“The (state) government should be firing every bullet in the public health armoury to prevent future statewide lockdowns,” Ms Ryan said.
“Rapid antigen tests are inexpensive and have proven to work best during the early stages of infection when the viral load is at its highest.
“While the PCR test can take hours to process, rapid testing has the potential to turnaround results in just 15 to 30 minutes.
“Rapid testing is shown to be most effective in high-risk settings, including at national and state borders, helping to quickly identify high-risk individuals and stop COVID in its tracks.
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“It is also an innovative solution to ensure major events, both in metropolitan and regional areas can proceed with little disruption to patron caps.
“Lockdowns should only ever be used as a last resort. There are a lot of other steps the . . . government should be putting in place to avoid snap lockdowns like the one we have just endured.
“We need a pathway out of constant lockdowns and rapid testing is an obvious part of that plan to get us back to some normality.
“Major events in Europe like the G7 last month have been able to proceed because Europe is using rapid tests. If that’s good enough for the G7, surely it is good enough for us.”
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Mr Foley said rapid antigen testing did have a place in how the state navigated its way out of the pandemic.
“Rapid antigen testing, as we move into different circumstances of the pandemic's response, will have a role to play,” Mr Foley said.
“We've just got to make sure it's the right role in the right place.
“It's (about) how it all comes together into an integrated plan, that's why I'm looking forward to the work that National Cabinet is doing.
“And I'm looking forward to that important work being shared with all Australians.”
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