Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Grant Robertson clashes with Heather du Plessis-Allan over RAT 'ban'

Newstalk ZB host Heather Du Plessis-Allan has clashed with Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson over the Government's plan for the supply of rapid antigen tests (RATs).

New Zealand's supply of RATs came under the spotlight yesterday as the Government announced plans to increase supply ahead of an Omicron surge.

PM Jacinda Ardern announced yesterday 4.6 million RATs were in the country, and 14.6 million more were expected over the next five weeks.

A potential 22 million would also arrive over the same period.

On Newstalk ZB last night, Robertson defended the Government's position on the lack of earlier supply of RATs.

ZB host Heather Du Plessis-Allan said 14.6 million tests were essentially only a two-week supply.

"It depends how you use them," Robertson replied. "At the moment we're in the fortunate position that we can continue to use PCR tests because we can manage the volumes. Clearly, we want to bring as many in as we can. Our focus is on making sure we don't have what happened in Australia where supply chains, critical workers and their utilities and so on haven't been able to go to work.

"Our test to work regime will manage that and you'll hear more about that [today]."

Du Plessis-Allan: "Now that we're in the situation where we actually do not have the very thing that we need, do you regret keeping that ban on RATs until last month?"

Robertson: "What we've tried to do is have rapid antigen testing available where it's appropriate. PCR testing remains the most important thing we can have. It is the most accurate and we can manage with it. Getting more orders in - that's been happening over the last few months. But it is a very competitive environment. We haven't needed the volume of rapid antigen tests up to now. We have a good supply coming in. And we're going to try and bring forward what we can."

The pair clashed over the Govt planning for RATs. Photo / File

Du Plessis-Allan: "But a part of running a country is having the foresight to see that you are going to need something. So did anybody sit down and say to the Minister of Health - either Cabinet, yourself or the prime minister, or anybody else - say to Ashley Bloomfield, you need to lift that ban on rapid antigen tests now."

Robertson: "We've been working through the ministry for some considerable time on the role of rapid antigen testing. But the process of getting approvals, yes, we've been asking the ministry for some time to get that done. We've now got at least nine different suppliers approved and more coming on all the time and a number of private sector companies in New Zealand have had stockpiles of rapid antigen testing so they have been able to get them. But equally, we're in a global environment where everybody's after them at the same time. I don't think there's been a ban on them."

Du Plessis-Allan: "Minister, did you say there hasn't been a ban on them? There has."

Robertson: "Clearly a number of corporates have had stockpiles."

Du Plessis-Allan: "That's because, Minister, there was a pilot that was allowed to take place in August after they begged you guys publicly. There was a ban."

Robertson: "The Ministry of Health have said consistently to us that PCR is the most accurate format."

Du Plessis-Allan: "Rather than changing the subject, let's just get this clear. Are you denying that there was a ban on these tests?"

Robertson: "What I'm saying is... I'm accepting that we've had PCR as our focus. We've been working through with the private sector, how they can best use rapid antigen testing, and a number of them have stocks and we have stocks of them as a government. They are now a more significant part of our strategy going forward."

Du Plessis-Allan: "You would accept that there was a ban by your Government on rapid antigen tests until December?"

Robertson: "I accept the Ministry of Health have managed the process by which they approved them and yes, they haven't been a large part of the system up to now but that's because the PCR tests have been able to deal with what we need to deal with."

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Ardern said yesterday that essential workplaces such as those in the health, supply chain and supermarket sectors will get more access to rapid antigen tests (RATs).

"This is to allow a 'test to return to work' approach.

"For now those PCR tests are best," Ardern added.

She said capacity existed for 60,000 tests a day, with surge capacity to nearly 78,000 daily tests.

But more than 40 million RATs kits had been ordered.

Ardern said nine rapid test types were already approved for use but various types had widely differing degrees of accuracy.

Ardern confirmed Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall would provide more information on the next stage of the pandemic response today.

Bloomfield joined Ardern at the press conference and discussed rapid antigen tests and orders.

"The challenge is getting confirmation of delivery against those orders."

He said RATs would probably be more widely used in the second and third stages of the Omicron response.

Ardern said if Omicron cases grew, rapid tests would be used more often.

Ardern said a surge in PCR testing capacity was independent of any rapid test issues, and not compensatory for a lack of RATs kits.

"In this early stage, when we're stamping it out and seeking to stamp it out, PCR remains our best solution."