Australian COVID patients will need a medical referral to get a free PCR test from next year, under sweeping changes to how the country manages the virus.

The government plans to move away from “COVID exceptionalism” under a new national management plan that takes effect on January 1.

“Over 2023, Australia will transition to managing COVID-19 in a similar way to other respiratory viruses,” the plan, revealed on Monday, said.

Despite that, chief medical officer Paul Kelly said the threat of COVID was likely to be part of life for some time to come.

“The likely emergence of new variants, including those able to partially evade immune responses, mean the Australian community can expect to experience new waves on a regular basis for at last the next two years,” Professor Kelly said.

The government will spend $2.8 million on the national plan for 2023.

Under the changes in the plan, a referral from a medical or nurse practitioner will be needed for patients to receive free PCR tests at locations that aren’t run by a state or territory government.

State or territory-operated PCR clinics will be able to accept patients without referrals. The government has extended 50-50 funding arrangements for jurisdictions that choose to keep those clinics running.

Under the plan, nor will testing be used as a surveillance tool, as it has been in previous COVID waves. Instead, it will be targeted to allow eligible patients to get faster access to antiviral treatments.

Access to antivirals will be provided following a positive PCR or rapid antigen test.

“There will be an ongoing need to evaluate and optimise how we test, who we test and when we test people for COVID-19 over the course of 2023,” the plan said.

“Over the next 12 months, COVID-19 testing requirements will be aligned with testing arrangements associated with other respiratory illnesses.”

The changes were revealed as some state chief health officers warned that Australia’s current COVID wave was taking longer to subside than first expected. Cases and hospital admissions continue to rise nationwide, while scripts for antivirals have have reached higher numbers than during the peak of the winter wave.

Victorian chief health officer Brett Sutton said case numbers in that state were showing some signs of stabilising.

“However, there remains significant uncertainty around the duration and severity of this wave due to the role of multiple new variants circulating in Victoria,” he said.

His counterpart in NSW, Dr Kerry Chant, said authorities in that state expected the current wave to peak in the “coming week or so”.

“Then we will see a decline in cases,” she said.

Independent MP Monique Ryan – a doctor – called for more “sensible” public health measures to help slow the spread.

“Masking indoors, social distancing when possible, workplace ventilation strategies,” she tweeted on Monday.

“If for no other reason – for our healthcare professionals.”

High-risk prioritised

Under the national plan unveiled on Monday, people in high-risk populations – such as older Australians, Indigenous people and those with a disability – will be prioritised for PCR testing.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the government’s priority was to minimise the incidence of death and severe illness, particularly focusing on those most at risk.

“The national plan provides clear guidance to the community and healthcare providers on how the Australian government will play its part in managing COVID-19 into the future,” Mr Butler said on Monday.

“We will continue to protect those most at risk, while ensuring we have the capacity to respond to future waves and variants.”

The national plan recognises that COVID continues to disproportionately affect some Australians and outlines measures, including additional help for those in aged care, Indigenous Australians, the disabled and multicultural communities;

It will ensure that those most at risk of severe disease have fast access to care and treatments and will strengthen the National Medical Stockpile safety net and pandemic preparedness capability.

Mr Butler has also come under fire following a decision to halve the number of subsidised psychology appointments available to people from next year.

People were able to access an additional 10 appointments following the initial lockdowns in 2020, on top of the 10 already available under the government scheme.

Funding for the extra appointments runs out at the end of the year and will not be renewed.

-with AAP