Free Covid-19 rapid antigen tests to be available until end of June
Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Rapid antigen tests for Covid-19 will continue to be available for free until the end of June, health officials say.
On Wednesday, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced that additional supplies of Covid-19 rapid antigen tests (RATs) would enable continued free testing for the public and health sector through to the end of June.
It had previously been indicated that free RATs would only be available until February 29, 2024.
Reti said the country’s current inventory of RATs expires before the end of March, and the “ability to keep providing free stock would have come to an end”.
However, Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) would procure supplies so RATs could continue to be provided for free for another few months, Reti said.
Health New Zealand was purchasing a further five million RATs – the cost of which could be met from existing budgets for Covid-19 services.
Free RATs would be available through the already established national network of distributors, including some health providers and some pharmacies.
Officials would provide him with “further advice” on Covid-19 testing and supply requirements from July 1 onwards, Reti said.
“Many other countries have already decreased the wide distribution of free RATs, however this approach will ensure New Zealand continues to have good stocks of tests available as we enter winter,” he said.
It comes after New Zealand experienced another wave of the virus in recent months.
On Monday, Te Whatu Ora said 5757 cases of Covid-19 had been reported in the seven days to Sunday — down from 7019 the week prior.
Participating RAT collection sites can be found at www.healthpoint.co.nz or by calling free on 0800 222 478 and choosing option 1.
As at December 31, 2023, Te Whatu Ora had distributed approximately 125 million free RATs for use by healthcare providers and the public.
National director of Te Whatu Ora’s National Public Health Service, Nick Chamberlain said as Covid-19 is “very much still circulating” in the community, and continuing to impact hospital admission rates, current advice supports RATs being freely available.
“We strongly encourage people to make the most of the continued free access, and to keep testing if they feel unwell or think they may have Covid-19.”
RAT advice
Public health recommendations remain in place to guide people on how to best protect themselves and others from Covid-19, Chamberlain said.
These include staying home if you are feeling unwell, and testing with a RAT if you develop a runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, loss of smell or taste, shortness of breath.
If you test positive, health officials recommend you isolate for at least five days, even if you only have mild symptoms, starting at Day 0 (when symptoms started, or when you tested positive ‒ whichever came first).
You should not go to work or school, and should discuss any return to work or school with your employer or child’s school principal, as they may require additional precautions, Chamberlain said.
Household contacts are recommended to continue to test daily for five days using a RAT.