The demand for the gargle test has recently declined significantly, it said on Friday from the office of health officer Christine Haberlander (ÖVP). With a total of around two million PCR tests, ‘Upper Austria gargles’ has proven to be a “very effective instrument for containing the pandemic in concert with the other measures” since November 2021, according to Haberlander.
Even if the free gargle test program in the Spar supermarkets ends at the end of March, the health officer emphasizes that the around 140 participating pharmacies will continue to provide free antigen living rooms and PCR tests for the population.
Officially ordered tests will also be offered in cooperation with the Upper Austrian Red Cross on official test roads. The current increase in the number of cases and the COVID-19-related deposits on the normal wards of the hospitals show that there is still a need for sufficient testing options, says Haberlander.
