The ministry is cracking down on resellers of Covid-19 rapid test kits. Hong Menea
The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications – which accepts purchase orders for Covid-19 antigen rapid test kits at $3.70 per unit, an offer exclusively for public and private institutions – has warned against reselling them.
The warning came after the ministry confiscated more than 4,000 kits.
In a press release on July 21, the ministry said it has taken a series of measures to prevent people reselling the kits, as this is contrary to its policy.
The ministry targeted individuals who resold the devices and immediately seized 4,250 test kits at five locations, all of which were ordered from the ministry.
“The ministry will cooperate with relevant authorities to identify opportunists and take strong measures and prevent the resale of kits which is in violation of rules set by the ministry,” it said.
The ministry said the purchase of test equipment from the ministry for resale had no benefit as it made people lose money while suffering from Covid-19.
It said currently, the ministry has been importing rapid test equipment for distribution at $3.7 per kit and was distributing an average of 350 orders per day from Monday to Sunday to various institutions.
The ministry said it prioritises high-risk Covid-19 areas.
Ministry secretary of state So Visothy told The Post on July 22 that after confiscating the test kits, the ministry made the sellers sign a contract to stop reselling them.
“There have been no arrests,” he said.
The ministry has not yet allowed the general public to order Covid-19 rapid test kits, but if an individual suspects infection, they can be tested at locations designated by the Ministry of Health.
On July 1, Prime Minister Hun Sen advised the ministries and institutions with large staff numbers to use the rapid test antigen kit to test for Covid-19 to prevent the spread of the disease.
As of July 7, the health ministry has recognised and authorised the use of four rapid Covid-19 antigen test kits – Abbott Panbio Covid-19 Ag Rapid Test Device, Roche Sars-Cov-2 Rapid Antigen Test 25t, Standard Q Covid-19 Ag Test, and Indicaid Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Test.
