Tasmania sells RATs to keep COVID out of Antarctica

The notice from Monday put a $30,000 value on the contract that would last for two weeks until January 31, with the supplier being Tasmania's Department of Health and Human Services.

Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff provided further details of the deal on Wednesday, outlining how they were provided on a "fee-for-service" basis to the Australian Antarctic Division as part of the Centre for Antarctic Remote and Maritime Medicine Partnership.

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"These tests will be used to ensure that COVID is not carried onto any of the three vessels operated by the AAD during this important summer season," he said.

"The vessels are deployed to carry vital supplies and passengers to Antarctica, re-supplying essential supplies of fuel, provisions and conducting an exchange of personnel.

"This is particularly important after the pandemic has led to a reduction in supply deployment in the last season."

Tasmania has six million RATs on order at the moment and 850,000 recently arrived.

Mr Rockliff said 65,000 RATs have been provided to the aged care sector, 3500 for NDIS participants and 4500 for Aboriginal health organisations.

Tasmanians with limited transport options - or living in rural areas - can have a RAT mailed to them.

Labor leader Rebecca White said RATs were "extremely rare" and difficult to access in Tasmania, and questioned why Tasmania needed to provide them to the Commonwealth.

"With large numbers of COVID cases in the community continuing to be detected and with thousands of people forced to isolate, it's critical they are able to source RATs," she said.

The number of RATs distributed in Tasmania has fluctuated since a supply shortage from earlier this month appeared to be resolved.

At the height of the state's Omicron peak - around January 13 - more than 14,000 RATs were distributed per day, which has since reduced to 5000 a week ago, 3185 on Tuesday and 4136 on Wednesday. These figures include tests sent out by Australia Post.