$4.90 HSA-approved ART kits now on sale - here's where to get them

SINGAPORE - The battle against Covid-19 has scored a breakthrough with the roll-out of a new, cheaper self-test kit.

The Flowflex antigen rapid test (ART) kit can be purchased from Friday (Dec 10) at all 70 Unity stores and more than 90 FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Finest supermarkets, FairPrice Xtra hypermarkets, Warehouse Club and FairPrice online.

The kit, which was authorised for use in Singapore by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Nov 8, costs $4.90 - below the current prices of other ART kits, which are about $10 each.

A pack of five Flowflex kits costs $24, while a pack of 25 is $117.50.

They will also be sold at 40 selected Cheers and FairPrice Xpress convenience stores in high traffic areas and Esso service stations next week, said a FairPrice spokesman.

This comes after Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said last month that more affordable kits which cost "well below" $10 and possibly below $5 will soon come to market.

He was speaking at a press conference held by the multi-ministry task force tackling Covid-19 here on Nov 15, noting then that the distribution of free ART kits to all Singapore households has been progressing well.

The Straits Times reported on Oct 9 that each household would receive 10 ART kits in a distribution exercise from Oct 22 to December.

Mr Ong had then announced that Flowflex, which is developed by United States-based diagnostic and medical devices firm Acon Laboratories, was approved under the Pandemic Special Access Route for self-test use.

Flowflex is one of the 11 ART kits that have been given the green light by HSA for use in Singapore.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.