The health ministry was originally worried that people might misuse home tests or misinterpret the results, and Home tests may be more likely to miss positive cases so they wound be, more of a screening tool, rather than a diagnostic tool But advocates argue that cheap, rapid tests could more than make up for any reduced sensitivity if they can be used to test many people daily or weekly, and are very unlikely to miss people who are sick enough to be contagious.
Rapid COVID tests similar to home pregnancy tests exist as prototypes in research labs, but until last week none were approved or manufactured at scale.