Prices falling in Israel for antigen home test kits

Antigen home test kit Photo: Shutterstock
Antigen home test kit Photo: Shutterstock

The kits are in high demand following the change in the Ministry of Health's testing procedures as the Omicron variant spreads exponentially.

After reports that Covid antigen home test kits were selling for NIS 20-25 per unit in packages and even NIS 35-40 for a single test kit, prices are beginning to fall as more retail players enter the market. A market source believes that price per test kit in packages will stabilize around NIS 9-10 per test, or even less.

Over the past week there have been reports of shortages of Covid antigen home test kits in the stores, following the change in the Ministry of Health's testing procedures as the Omicron variant spreads exponentially. Israelis under 60 are no longer eligible for a PCR test unless they first test positive with an antigen test.

From next week the Machsanei Hashuk supermarket chain says it will sell packets of 20 antigen home test kits made by GenSure for NIS 116, just NIS 5.80 for each test.

The Super-Pharm website is offering a packet of 20 tests for NIS 150 (NIS 7.50 per test) but the company has no packages in stock. The chain's stores are selling packages of three to five tests for NIS 70-80. Rami Levy's Good Pharm is selling packages of 10 tests for NIS 80 and Shufersal's Be pharmacy website is selling 20 tests for NIS 300 (NIS 15 per test), or individual test kits for NIS 22. A packet of four tests in the Sogood convenience stores of the Sonol gas station chain costs NIS 70 (NIS 17.50 per test) and individual kits currently cost between NIS 15-20 on websites like Walla! Shops.

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on January 11, 2022.

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2022.

Antigen home test kit Photo: Shutterstock
Antigen home test kit Photo: Shutterstock
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