Eligibility for Publicly Funded Testing
Kia ora, You have received this letter because you have asked to get a test at one of our Community Testing Centres, a general practice or an urgent care clinic, and have been told you are not eligible for a test. If you have been asked to get a test by your employer and you do not fit the below criteria, you may provide this letter to your employer. Omicron Response Testing remains a cornerstone of our response but who, when, where and how we manage our testing is changing due to the highly infectious nature of Omicron. These changes enable PCR testing capacity to be protected for use in key workforce protection (healthcare), surveillance (at the border) and diagnostic (hospitals and acute care) settings. Therefore, we are only providing PCR testing for certain groups of people to preserve capacity. Eligibility for PCR Testing At this stage of the response, the people eligible for PCR tests are those who:
have COVID-19 symptoms (e.g. a fever, new or worsening cough, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, sneezing and running nose); are a close contact of someone who has COVID-19; have been told to get a test by a Health Official; are required to have a test under a mandatory testing order (e.g. a border or MIQ worker); work directly with COVID-19 patients; are attending a procedure or appointment at a public hospital, and have been asked to get a test.
Surveillance Testing Surveillance testing (i.e. regular testing for employees who do not have symptoms and are not close contacts) for industry and the business sector is outside the requirements and is not part of the public health response. This means the test is not publicly funded. If your business wishes to complete surveillance testing this needs to be privately funded through private laboratories and testing providers. Further Information If you require further information please talk to the testing staff or go to Testing and Tracing on covid19.govt.nz or contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453.
Ngā mihi, Northern Region Health Coordination Centre Auckland, Counties Manukau and Waitematā District Health Boards
14/02/2022