Wagga businesses face workforce uncertainty over COVID-19 rapid antigen tests supply

NSW Health has advised that employers can implement rapid antigen test screening at workplaces under the supervision of a health practitioner or via a third party provider.

"Businesses are responsible for procuring their own test kits [and] are expected to cover the cost of implementing testing on site at workplaces," NSW Health's advice stated.

Thaigga owner Robert Baliva said he had been searching for RAT kits ahead of the Wagga restaurant's reopening on January 10.

"We've been looking in Sydney but we haven't been able to find any. I guess they'll become rare like toilet paper and keep selling out every time they restock," he said.

Mr Baliva said it was difficult to keep track of his testing obligations as an employer as "every day it's changing".

Laser Tag Wagga owner Therese Paull said she was also unsure of the exact rules but would be requiring staff to stay home if they had symptoms.

"If they are unwell, they don't work. We're just going with that. I haven't heard anything from NSW Health specifically," she said.

"I have followed on Facebook where people are reporting where RATs are available. If I had to test all my staff it would soon get expensive as well."

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Curious Rabbit cafe, art gallery and book shop owner Vickie Burkinshaw said she wanted to provide RATs to keep staff and customers safe, but they were so rare that people were having to source them from Canberra.

"I would love to have [kits] available for staff if that was an option for them, given that would be one less stress for them if I had them available in store, as it has been a very stressful time for hospitality staff," she said.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Wednesday that small businesses were likely to see disruption from issues such as staff shortages as infection numbers from the Omicron variant reach their peak and then decline.

"I know that particularly smaller business will have to close at various points in time, those with less staff who are going to have to isolate," he said.

"That is going to be an incredible challenge, I accept that, but we are a strong people, we have got through the past two years."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday after the latest national cabinet meeting with state leaders that 6.6 million Australians with a concession, health, veterans or low income card would be able to access 10 free RATs over three months, to be distributed at PCR test clinics.

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