The government has confirmed a scheme that provides 10 free rapid antigen tests to concession card holders over a three-month period will finish on July 31.
The end of the scheme comes amid a rise in COVID-19 cases across the country and hospitalisations from more infectious sub-variants of the virus.
As a cruise ship with more than 100 positive COVID-19 cases docked in Sydney, Anthony Albanese said the end date of the scheme was put in place by the previous government, but there were other options for people needing a subsidised test.
"I'd encourage concession card holders to go and get the 10 free rapid antigen tests that they're eligible for by the end of this month, there's still time to go and do that," he told ABC radio on Wednesday.
"On top of that there are free rapid antigen tests available in aged care facilities across a range of areas."
The concession scheme was set up in January during the height of the first Omicron wave, when RATs were in short supply.
The end of the scheme comes as the government flagged COVID-19 isolation payments for eligible workers would also finish.
Experts want the payments and the rapid test schemes to remain in place due to an explosion of COVID-19 cases in a new Omicron wave.
However, the prime minister said the new government had not been behind either decision.
"This is a decision that was inherited from the former government and state governments," he said.
Meanwhile, a cruise ship with more than 100 people who have tested positive to COVID-19 has docked in Sydney.
After departing Eden on the NSW South Coast, the Coral Princess with more than 2300 on board, berthed at Circular Quay just before dawn on Wednesday, where it will remain for a day before returning to its home port of Brisbane.
Passengers will have to record a negative RAT result before disembarking. The crew is required to remain on board.
The outbreak aboard the ship mostly involves infected crew members, with 114 in isolation on Tuesday.
Four passengers were also isolating after positive results, and 24 earlier disembarked in Brisbane, Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard said.
NSW Health said passengers who tested positive probably took the virus on board with them rather than becoming infected at sea.
Eden-Monaro MP and Regional Development Minister Kristy McBain said locals were happy to see the ship dock after bushfires and the pandemic impacted the region.
"When you've got towns that rely on tourism it's been an incredibly difficult couple of years," Ms McBain told Sydney radio 2GB on Tuesday.
"Hopefully this will be the first of many cruise ships to dock this season ... There's been significant investment into the Port of Eden so that cruise ships could dock in town," she said.
A Princess Cruises spokesman said the crew who had tested positive in a recent full-screening were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms.
At the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, another Princess cruise liner - the Ruby Princess - had a major outbreak of the virus that led to 28 deaths.
The latest cruise ship outbreak comes as concern grows about the growing spread of the B.4 and B.5 Omicron sub-variants that could reinfect people who have already had the virus.
LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA:
NSW: 10,622 cases, 15 deaths, 2023 in hospital with 61 in ICU
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