Australian Government guidelines indicate that you will be tested if you develop fever or respiratory symptoms and meet at least one the following criteria:
- you have returned from overseas in the past 14 days (see below)
- you have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 14 days
- you travelled on a cruise ship (either passenger or crew) in the 14 days before developing symptoms
- you are a health care, aged care or residential care worker
- you have lived in an area where there is a higher risk of community transmission, as defined by the local public health unit
You should also be tested if you meet any or all of the following criteria:
- if you have mild runny nose, chills, fever, fatigue and cough
- you have serious respiratory symptoms or fever
- you are in hospital
- there is no other clear cause of the symptoms
People in high-risk settings will be tested if there are 2 or more people with fever and respiratory symptoms in the setting.
High-risk settings include:
- aged and residential care facilities
- detention centres or correctional facilities
- boarding schools
- military bases (including navy ships) that have live-in accommodation
- rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities