In Israel, omicron, confusion drive 'real panic' for tests

Israel's most visible delivery company says rapid antigen tests have become its most in-demand product as the omicron variant tears through the population and prompts the government to scramble policies

TEL AVIV, Israel -- Aviran Yael fetched rapid antigen kits from a pharmacy in Tel Aviv's busy center, placed them in the light blue bag strapped to the back of his motorbike and headed off to deliver them.

With that, Yael on Monday joined a growing army of couriers toting Wolt delivery boxes around Israel, a sight that has become ubiquitous in the three years since the Finnish company began operating here.

The payload in the blue boxes changed when the Israeli government last week authorized more at-home testing to take the burden off of testing centers.

Almost immediately, as the omicron coronavirus variant set infection records, rapid antigen tests became the platform's most in-demand product — even more than food, its core delivery business, officials said.