Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has broken her silence over allegations her fiancé Clarke Gayford tried to get a pharmacist to give his friends rapid antigen tests - in contradiction to health advice.
Tauranga pharmacist Michael Taylor claimed a group of potential COVID-19 close contacts came into his shop on December 29 asking whether they could get rapid antigen tests (RATs).
"Just had a group of vaccinated musicians arrive having potentially been exposed want a RAT - explained to them that they needed to have a PCR test done," Taylor wrote in a private Facebook group.
Taylor said the group then called Gayford who wrongly claimed the group could get rapid antigen tests instead of PCR tests.
"As they didn't like this they got Clarke Gayford on the phone who proceeded to tell me that there had been a change in guidance and these people should be given RAT tests - when I explained that we had not received any direction from the MoH he was very unimpressed."
Gayford later apologised via a statement from his manager.
"Mr Gayford was rung by a friend about rapid antigen testing and was put on speakerphone while the person was in a pharmacy.
"He apologises for any issues or confusion this may have caused the pharmacy staff."
The Ministry of Health's website says if a person has flu-like or COVID-19 symptoms or they're a close or casual contact of someone infected with the virus, "rapid antigen screening should not be used, and the person should be directed immediately for a laboratory-based PCR test for COVID-19".
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has previously refused to comment, told reporters on Monday there's nothing more to say about the incident.
"Everything that is to be said has been. He's made an apology and I think that really covers everything."
The Ministry of Health's website says if a person has flu-like or COVID-19 symptoms or they're a close or casual contact of someone infected with the virus, "rapid antigen screening should not be used, and the person should be directed immediately for a laboratory-based PCR test for COVID-19".
National Party COVID-19 spokesman Chris Bishop called the incident "deeply inappropriate".
