Interstate travellers won't need to pay for COVID-19 tests at state-run clinics

Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed people won't need to pay for PCR tests required to travel interstate.

A woman waits to receive a COVID-19 test in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. Source: AAP

Domestic travellers who require a negative COVID-19 test for interstate travel will not have to foot the bill, the federal health minister has confirmed.

It comes amid growing confusion over who would have to pay for the COVID-19 tests, which are required by interstate travellers to enter Queensland.

Some of the tests would cost up to $150 per person, leading to concern it would be a financial setback for some.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been calling for the federal government to enable a Medicare rebate for the tests if it's conducted at a private clinic.

Jurisdictions such as Queensland, WA and SA require a mandatory nose and throat swab, or PCR test, up to 72 hours before entry.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said those seeking a PCR test won't have to pay for the test if it happens at a state-run clinic.

His clarification came after an almost week-long feud with the Queensland government over who would fork out for the tests.

Mr Hunt said travellers would be able to enter Queensland by showing a text message confirming their negative test, rather than a formal certificate.

"The Commonwealth has always funded 50 per cent of the cost of the PCR tests," Mr Hunt said on Twitter on Tuesday night. 

"The only thing that has changed is that after accepting text confirmation for 18 months and then rejecting it again for 24 hours, Queensland is now accepting the same text messages again, dropping their demand for a certificate."

Mr Hunt said people would only be charged for a pathology test if they were required to obtain an official certificate, rather than showing text confirmation of the test.

The health minister has attacked the Queensland premier, accusing Ms Palaszczuk of causing "unnecessary stress" for travellers.

Queensland is set to reopen its borders to COVID hotspots from December 17, or when the state hits 80 per cent of its residents over 16 being fully vaccinated.

Ms Palaszczuk was asked numerous times about the $150 cost of PCR tests, which she urged the Commonwealth and other states to fund.

She did not confirm Queensland authorities would accept a text message showing a test result until a journalist asked her on Tuesday.

"We're looking at that, to have a text message, that'd be fine," she told reporters.

Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe later issued a statement confirming text messages were acceptable.

"It was put under some doubt from the Queensland premier," Mr Hunt told Nine's Today program on Wednesday morning.

"We have a suspicion it may have been an accident, but I am pleased that the existing arrangements are there."

A federal government official told AAP that while the Queensland government never demanded a test certificate, they had never clarified they did not need one.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles sidestepped a question about why the state had not made its position clear on whether text messages confirming free test results would be sufficient for travellers.

Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles. Source: AAP

"There was clearly an orchestrated campaign to confuse people," he said.

"We have all along provided PCR tests here to people travelling to other states.

"We were presented with claims that other states were charging for those tests, and were asked to confirm whether PCR tests would still be a requirement, and we said that they were.

"Evidence of a PCR test will be sufficient, and a text message will be sufficient, to prove that you've had a negative PCR test."

Meanwhile, Mr Miles said that overnight trips interstate were not technically banned, but the 72-hour testing requirement made them impractical.

The latest figures show 85.01 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have had one vaccine dose, with 74.07 per cent fully vaccinated.

Queensland recorded one new case of COVID-19 in hotel quarantine on Tuesday.

South Australian premier Steven Marshall said visitors to the state will still need a negative PCR test to cross the border.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall. Source: AAP

"They don't need to have the result, but they will need the test within 72 hours," he told ABC News on Wednesday.

"Some people from LGAs around the country which have got lower vaccination rates will be asked to have a test on arrival, they have to isolate before the test but not until they get the test result."

It comes as NSW recorded 248 new cases of COVID-19 in the past reporting period, with two deaths.

In Victoria there were 1,196 new infections and three deaths.

The ACT reported 19 cases, while two cases were detected in the Northern Territory on Tuesday.