February 24 2022
New Zealand will move to phase 3 of the Omicron response at 11.59pm Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today.
Aucklanders can now get free supervised Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) kits from GP and urgent care medical clinics in Auckland.
RATs should also be widely available to buy in supermarkets next month and should cost around $8 to $10, the Government says.
RATs have earlier been in short supply in New Zealand, with numerous businesses complaining last month their orders for the tests had been delayed because the Government was "commandeering" supplies coming into the country.
The tests are considered a key tool in controlling the Omicron outbreak because they can give people a quick Covid test result and ease pressure on the PCR testing regime that - while more accurate - takes longer to return results.
Yet the scarcity of tests has fueled fears that unscrupulous sellers could charge exorbitant prices.
Some pharmacies are today advertising RATs as being available to the public to purchase later this week at a cost of $290 for 20 tests - or close to $15 per test.
Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said with public RATs being free, it is expected that private sellers also won't overcharge people for the tests.
"When rapid antigen tests become available through retail outlets that will be through private suppliers, they will determine the price," he said.
"We've got a pretty good idea of what we think is a reasonable price, somewhere between $8-to-$10 a test."
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said that - given the central role RATs will play in the Government's phase 3 response to the Omicron outbreak - the Government will be keeping a close eye the price tests sell for privately.
"Ultimately, it will be a market, so the market will determine the price but we will be looking very closely at whether that is a reasonable price or not," Hipkins said.
It comes as free supervised RAT kits are today being made available to the public at general practice and urgent care medical clinics in Auckland.
RATs provide much faster results than traditional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests but are typically less accurate.
However, people visiting Auckland testing sites have been experiencing long delays to get tested and are then having to wait up to a week in some cases to get their test results back.
People queue in cars for Covid testing in Auckland this week. Photo / Michael Craig
That has led some people to be forced into isolate at home for long periods even when they don't have Covid.
Therefore, most people showing up to one of Auckland 17 testing centres will now be given RAT kits, the Northern Region Health Coordination Centre said.
NRHCC clinical operations lead Dr Sarah Hartnall said it was important that people go to the right testing place according to their needs.
"If you feel comfortable taking a RAT home to do by yourself, you can go to a community testing centre. PCRs are still available at these centres too, but RATs will give you a result straight away and you won't be asked to get any more tests if it's positive.
"If you want a health practitioner to do a RAT for you or you need medical attention at the same time, you can contact your general practice or an urgent care clinic."
RATs from community testing sites and supervised RATs from general practices and urgent care clinics are free.
Bill Foster, managing director of Morgan Laurenson, a company supplying vegetables to supermarkets, was among those to have their private order of RATs delayed in January when the Government moved to shore up supplies for itself.
However, he said he had since received about 5000 RATs last week from his supplier.
RATs were crucial to keeping his business running because even with stringent bubbles and plans in place, just one person coming to work while infected with Covid could potentially force a whole shift of workers into days of isolation, he said.
However, if staff can "surveillance test" themselves at home with a RAT it means they can have an idea whether they have Omicron before going to work.
Staff that test positive could then stay home and go for a traditional PCR test.
Knowing a colleague has tested positive, other workers would also be able to take RAT tests and continue going to work so long as they don't also test positive.
Foster said this would be crucial to keeping his company - which washes, dries, packs and distributes vegetables from its base in Palmerston North - running with its relatively small onsite staff of 65.
He said he was waiting before to see if the Government intended to distribute RATs to critical businesses like his before trying to buy more tests.
Hipkins said Kiwis can now access RATs from hundreds of locations.
"With millions of RATs now distributed around the country to testing sites, GPs, pharmacies and within workplaces, RATs will become the primary form of testing," he said.
"You can now access a RAT from hundreds of locations around the country, making getting a test much easier and over the coming days the number of access points will increase significantly."
"Locations which have RATs available can be found on the HealthPoint website. PCR testing will be reserved for people where it's clinically indicated they need it. A PCR test will no longer be required to verify a positive RAT result."
The NRHCC said the move to RATs would greatly ease pressure on the testing regime.
"GPs have been providing around 60 per cent of metro Auckland's PCR testing. The shift to supervised RATs is expected to significantly reduce pressure on PCR laboratories as well as provide a quicker and easier process for people," it said.
"People need to record their RAT result at mycovidrecord.nz or call 0800 222 478.
"People who get a supervised RAT will have their result recorded by the general practice or urgent care clinic."
The NHRCC said there was high demand for tests across Auckland and asked people to consider whether they really need a test.
"We're asking people to only get tested if they have symptoms or are close contacts, so that services can be prioritised for those who are feeling unwell," Dr Hartnall said.
"We currently have queues, so if you do need a test please bring refreshments and your NHI number, which will help to speed up the process."
The only people who need to be tested in Auckland are those who:
• are feeling unwell or have Covid-19 symptoms (eg a fever, new or worsening cough, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, sneezing and running nose)
• are household contacts of someone who has Covid-19
• have been told to get a test by a health official.
"Some community providers and pharmacies are also progressively rolling out supervised testing, including for unvaccinated, asymptomatic people required to have a test to travel within New Zealand or to comply with Ministry of Justice requirements."
