The NSW Government announced a new statewide mandate today, requiring all positive Rapid Antigen Test (RATs) results to be registered within a new feature on the Service NSW app. 

The NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announced the launch of the new registration platform today, which will help to gain a more accurate insight into the statewide case numbers, where previously positive cases identified using RATs went uncounted.

“We have made a decision as a government that the registration of that test is mandatory, and you will need to register your positive RAT from January 1st. This health order has been signed off this morning,” Mr Perrottet said. 

Failure to register the test will be penalised with a thousand dollar fine, with enforcement of the mandate beginning from next week. 

Customer Service and Digital Government Minister Victor Dominello said privacy would be at the forefront of this new feature.

"This technology has been built with trust and security at its core. Service NSW will send the information directly to NSW Health, it isn't shared with any third parties, and is then deleted from Service NSW records within days," Mr Dominello said.

Registering a test includes answering simple questions to help NSW Health determine the risk level of the case, and further instruct on how to deal with that case. 

For cases determined as high risk (currently a minority of cases), NSW Health will contact that person within 48 hours to connect them to medical services and assistance. 

For those without access to the Service NSW app, the registration form can also be accessed through the Service NSW website or phone line, on 13 77 88.

The new mandate will likely reveal some confronting Covid-19 numbers, given that the recently reported case numbers from the Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) saw 809 new cases up to 8pm last night, breaking through the 500 mark the district has hovered around for the past week.

101 of those cases are located across the Western Plains shires. 

Of those cases, there are two in the Bogan Shire, two in Bourke, 11 in Brewarrina, five in Cobar, 12 in Coonamble, 12 in Gilgandra, five in the Lachlan Shire, 19 in Narromine, 14 in Walgett, four in Warren, and 19 in the Warrumbungles.