By Molly Magennis
Free rapid antigen tests are now available for early childhood services.
The Victorian Government is bringing kindergartens and daycare centres in line with school settings by providing them with rapid antigen tests to help manage coronavirus outbreaks.
All eligible kindergarten and long daycare services can opt-in to the program to receive at-home rapid antigen test kits for children who have been identified as primary close contacts.
As soon as tests have been delivered to services, children can return to their early childhood service after seven days of quarantine if they get a negative result on day six, and then return a negative rapid antigen test result each day they attend their early childhood service from days eight to 14.
This will not only help reduce quarantine time but also ensure that early childhood settings remain as low-risk as possible.
Rapid antigen tests indicate a result for coronavirus within 15-30 minutes and have been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for home use.
Minister for Early Childhood Ingrid Stitt said that the main priority was getting young children and their teachers back to face-to-face learning as quickly as possible.
“These rapid antigen tests will help limit disruption for our children and their families while supporting our early childhood services,” she said.
The kits will be available to these settings subject to outbreaks and will be distributed to eligible services ready to be used on Monday November 22.
