Could chartering flights to Asia to collect rapid antigen tests be a solution to the shortage? Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate thinks so.
He has called on the state and federal governments to support his proposal to fly directly to Asia to purchase RATs for Queensland, arguing it could help to take some pressure off the state's retail and hospitality sectors.
National Retail Association chief executive Dominique Lamb says she wants to see the tests made easily available to businesses, but would prefer to see the government move away from testing altogether.
But Cr Tate said RATs could ease the pain for businesses in the short-term.
"The Health Minister was this week critical of my idea, but it seems the national retail body isn't so critical,'' he said.
"The lack of RATs is costing virtually every Queensland business lost productivity.
"Get the … tests here now and get them distributed to the frontline so businesses can quickly test their staff and get them back on the workshop floor.''
Cr Tate has offered to charter a plane to Asia to pick up enough RATs to help Gold Coast businesses, but wants the state and federal governments reimburse the Gold Coast City Council for the costs.
Businesses on their knees
Ms Lamb said some businesses were paying exorbitant prices for tests, but it was worse for those that could not source them at all.
"We simply can't get them, it's pretty tough out there," she said.
"Ninety per cent of them are saying they've been negatively impacted by Omicron and it's just an ongoing concern, because we can't to keep people safe but we also have a skills shortage.
"We really need people to be in store or in distribution centres doing all of their jobs."
Ms Lamb said the tests should be made available to employers to limit the number of people having to stay home.
"It shortens the period of time where they aren't in the workplace," she said.
Ms Lamb said the situation had resulted in many businesses – particularly small businesses – having to shut entirely.
"You might only have two or three employees … you have them all go down at once," she said.
RATs not a long-term solution
Ms Lamb would like to see the government come up with a different answer to the problem.
"We don't view rapid antigen tests as a strategy moving forward in the long term — there's not enough tests made to implement in some of the regimes we've seen across the country," she said.
"While in Queensland we haven't heard the word 'lockdown', we have had the human movement directions … 'Stay at home where you can, it's going to pick up in four to six weeks.'
"All that's great — except for the fact that we've seen [a footfall reduction] of about 40 per cent across the board.
"It's having an impact on those … businesses."
Cr Tate said he was looking to purchase the tests for his own staff.
"We have made various contacts with suppliers and there is no issue with us obtaining RATs, so I implore the state to secure RATs immediately to save small businesses across the state," he said.
