Trailfinders has questioned the real purpose behind PCR tests.
It argues the expense of PCR testing could be set up as a deliberate barrier to deter people from travelling overseas.
In a blog post, Trailfinders doubts the government’s reasoning for PCR tests is to ‘aid health control.’
"The identification of new variants we are told, is why travellers have to undertake a PCR test on return. However, in the three-week period from July 1, only 354 of these tests were genomic sequenced to identify new variants of concern out of 500,000 tests it is reported."
With only 1 in 1,412 tests of returning travellers sequenced, are day 2 and day 8 PCR tests contrived to discourage travel, rather than aid health control?"
"If the government are content to sequence a tiny sample (118 per week based on these numbers), then there are better ways: saving the cost and hassle for travellers," it wrote.
"Even the fully vaccinated returning from green list countries, with very few cases, are required to undergo a day 2 test. Is the reason for these tests to deter travel rather than to uncover new variants? The data suggests this may well be the case."
