Covid Testing Update Ashley Bloomfield 15 April 2021

Date: Thursday, 15 April 2021 at 3:23 PM Subject: Latest guidance on COVID-19 testing for the health sector: 15 April – 26 May 2021 Kia ora koutou, We have undertaken our regular review of our COVID-19 Testing Guidance for the Health Sector and I’m writing to let you know there is now an updated version of this document, replacing the testing guidance that was in force from 4 March – 14 April 2021.

For the period ending 26 May 2021, we’ll continue to focus our efforts on quickly testing all people with symptoms of COVID-19 in all regions, our border workforce and those who are subject to the Required Testing Order, and travellers returning from overseas – except those who will travel from Quarantine Free Travel countries.

We are also strengthening our support of our critical border workers through amendments to the Required Testing Order, bringing in new groups of workers who will have the additional protection of surveillance testing and increasing the frequency of testing for healthcare workers at managed isolation facilities and accommodation providers for international air crew.

To further strengthen our response to potential transmission of COVID-19 we are making use of the Border Workforce Testing Register (BWTR) mandatory. The BWTR enables both workers and PCBUs to monitor border workers’ compliance with their requirement to undergo regular testing under the Required Testing Order.

You can expect further information about these changes in coming days.

As our vaccination programme ramps up across New Zealand it is important that we stay the course and remain focused and vigilant as we continue to discover new cases of COVID-19 at the border, especially from countries who are experiencing resurgences of the virus in their communities.

Focus for the next six weeks For the six week period of 15 April to 26 May, our focus remains on maintaining a comprehensive testing approach across New Zealand, supported by a resilient and flexible testing strategy.

Testing supplements infection protection and control measures already in place in border settings such as physical distancing, personal protective equipment, physical barriers, daily health checks and symptomatic people staying home. And the vaccination roll-out is another key tool we're using to reduce the spread of infection.

The primary focus of the Testing Guidance is testing at the border to decrease the risk that COVID-19 enters New Zealand communities where it could spread undetected. The focus is on testing arrivals into New Zealand, international air and maritime crew, and border facing workers (including MIQ workers) – as mandated by the Air and Maritime Border Orders and Required Testing Order.

The Ministry continues to review and – as necessary – recommend amendments to the various Testing Orders currently in place. With testing at the border being Aotearoa New Zealand’s first line of defence against COVID-19, we are seeking to ensure that Testing Orders continue to serve to further strengthen our border defences to protect the community.

For community testing, our focus for the next six weeks remains on:

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Testing anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 in all regions (with the proviso that exceptions can be made for young children and the elderly);

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Groups that have been underrepresented in data over recent months, in particular Māori, whose testing rates have consistently been below rates for non-Māori but have improved in the last three months. Note that the focus should be on improving access to testing for those who are in these groups;

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Testing as part of any wider case or outbreak investigation. In particular, targeted testing, for example by geographic locations or for specific populations, should be considered in this setting.

Key updates in the latest Testing Guidance include:

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Symptomatic children 11 years and under do not need to be tested routinely. They should be tested only if they meet HIS (Higher Index of Suspicion) criteria, are very ill, or by parental request;

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We have now added a new group to the Higher Index of Suspicion (HIS) criteria: those working in cold storage areas of facilities that receive imported chilled and frozen goods directly from an international air or maritime port. The full list of HIS criteria is contained in the more technical clinical guidance which is published on the Ministry’s website; Clarity with regard to people experiencing possible side-effects from COVID-19 vaccines, which are similar to actual symptoms: Because vaccine effectiveness is less than 100%, COVID-19 infections should always be considered as a possible cause of symptoms in people at higher risk of exposure.

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As we have advised previously, anyone presenting to hospital with an acute respiratory infection, or who develops symptoms while hospitalised, should be tested for SARS-CoV-2, irrespective of region or other risk criteria. Exceptions can be made, subject to clinical judgement, for young children and the elderly.

As always, I acknowledge and thank you for your continued commitment to keep Aotearoa New Zealand safe from COVID-19 and welcome any feedback you have.

The full current advice for the period ending 14 April 2021 is available here.

Kind regards, Dr Ashley Bloomfield Director-General of Health