People living and working in disability funded residential settings in the Goulburn electorate will start to receive free Rapid Antigen Tests to help prevent their exposure to COVID-19.
Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman said the distribution of tests would assist some of the most vulnerable members of the community and their support workers.
“This is a great initiative as it will help ensure that people with disability can be supported safely at home, and reduce the risk of infections spreading as well as the potential for hospital admission,” Mrs Tuckerman said.
“This distribution of testing kits underpins the NSW Government’s priority of protecting the most vulnerable members of the community while the pandemic continues to pose a risk.”
The kits will be distributed to disability service providers by staff in NSW Health Local Health Districts.
Minister for Families and Communities and Minister for Disability Services Natasha Maclaren-Jones said the testing kits were a vital part of protecting people living and working in Supported Independent Living and other residential settings.
“Protecting people with disability is important because they can often be at greater risk of developing more serious illness if they become infected with COVID-19,” Mrs Maclaren-Jones said.
This initiative supplements the rollout of Rapid Antigen Tests to NDIS participants by the Commonwealth Government, which holds the primary responsibility for supporting the disability sector.
People with disability can also purchase testing kits using their NDIS plan funding or access their free allocation from community pharmacies available for those who hold Commonwealth Health Care or Concession Cards.
WENDY TUCKERMAN 