133 Molesworth Street PO Box 5013 Wellington 6140 New Zealand T+64 4 496 2000 9 September 2021
Dr Nick Chamberlain and Keriana Brooking Lead District Health Board Chief Executives for Primary Care
Update regarding the fit testing of N95 masks
Kia ora koutou The Ministry of Health (the Ministry) has been working with General Practice New Zealand (GPNZ) to implement fit test programmes across the regions. Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) were notified of this on 13 August 2021. Within 5 days of our letter, as you are all aware, we had an identified community case of COVID-19. The decision to continue a fit testing programme within Alert Levels 3 and 4 settings was reviewed by the Ministry’s COVID-19 Clinical Oversight Group (COG). COG reviewed the balance of risk in pausing the fit testing programme with continuing the current programme and decided that the rollout should be paused until it is safe to recommence. This was communicated out on 30 August 2021. With the Alert Level changes for most of the country except the Auckland region this week, implementation of normal fit testing programmes can now proceed for those in Alert Levels 2 and below. For PHOs in the Auckland region (Alert Levels 3 and 4), the short application form will continue to be required as per the process outlined in our communication of 30 August 2021. Please contact Nikki.Canter-Burgoyne@health.govt.nz for matters in the Auckland region and if you have questions about the application form process. As a reminder that the exemption to the fit testing requirements for general practice and urgent care clinics to access centralised supply of N95/P2 particulate respirators is in place until 14 September 2021. Particulate respirators will continue to be provided to general practice and urgent care in line with the PPE Principles of Supply and the National IPC Guidance. Please continue to order PPE stock as per standard process. After this time, the exemption to the fit testing requirements for N95/P2 respirators will not be extended for areas which are now operating in Alert Level 2 and will be reviewed prior to 14 September 2021 for Auckland based general practice and urgent care clinics.
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