Aucklanders who meet certain requirements will be offered a rapid antigen test (RAT) at testing sites from Monday.
The Ministry of Health says testing sites will determine whether a RAT or PCR is best. Access to RATs will also expand further over the coming week.
"As the outbreak grows more people will have COVID and there will be more close contacts we need to test. As planned we will now increase the use of RATs in phase 2 and phase 3 of our response in order to relieve pressure on the PCR testing and reserve it for those most likely to have COVID," the ministry says.
"As we've previously said, only those with symptoms or who have been identified as close contacts of a case, or directed by a health professional to get tested should be turning up at testing sites."
The Ministry of Health says there are some important points the public need to be aware of:
- People who are directed to have a rapid antigen test will be told what to do if they have a positive result. At the current time, they will likely be advised that they need to have a PCR test to confirm the positive result
- RATs are not as accurate as PCR tests at identifying someone early in their illness so if you have a negative rapid antigen test result and symptoms start to develop, you may need to have another test
- If you're unwell, you must stay home regardless of the test result, which will also help reduce the spread of other viruses
- RATs will initially be available in Auckland, as the ministry continues to widen access in other high-demand centres around New Zealand
- There are 7.3 million RATs in stock in the country, with more arriving by air.
The Ministry of Health reiterates that the only people who need to get tested are those who are unwell with cold or flu symptoms, have been identified as a close contact of a case, or have been told to do so by health officials.
"As this demand has grown, some COVID-19 test results for Auckland and Waikato are currently taking longer to process at laboratories," the ministry says.
"The use of rapid antigen testing, alongside PCR testing, will improve this process at a time of exceptional demand in phase 2, provided the testing centre queues are freely available for those who really need a test."
The Northern Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC) says those Aucklanders who meet the criteria will be able to take their RATs home and test themselves there.
"Demand on community testing centres across Auckland has remained high, and we need to conserve PCR testing capacity to support those who need it the most," says Matt Hannant, NRHCC director of operations.
"PCR testing is the most definitive method of confirming someone has COVID-19 which means ensuring the people and communities who are most affected by the Omicron outbreak have access to PCR testing resources.
"To maintain the levels of PCR testing needed, we are widening the use of RATs from tomorrow to include community testing centres. This will take the pressure off the laboratories and lessen wait times at testing sites."
It will be free to get a RAT.
"We understand that some people may be feeling anxious at this time, but those who have no symptoms of COVID-19 and do not meet any other criteria do not need to be tested and may be turned away from testing services," Hannant says.
"We thank Aucklanders for their understanding and help in ensuring testing resources are prioritised for those who need timely access to them."
It comes as 2522 new COVID-19 cases were reported in New Zealand on Sunday, a new daily record. There are 100 people in hospital, although none are in ICU or HDU.
