Even COVID-positive workers are likely to return to workplaces if necessary, according to authorities
New Zealand is moving to the third phase of its three-step Omicron plan as of 11:59PM on February 24, according to COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins, which will likely see COVID-infected cases to return to work. Hipkins explained the move was down to the expected thousands of new COVID-19 cases in the next few weeks.
"These changes will ease some of the pressure on our testing and contact tracing services over the next three to six weeks, while helping to ensure critical services and supply chains remain operational and our economy keeps moving," the minister said in a statement.
In order to accomplish such feat, the government will redefine close contacts to only household or household-like contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases. It will also continue its critical worker exemption scheme to allow them to return to work with a daily negative Rapid Antigen Test. The minister even noted, without elaboration, that probable or COVID-positive patients may also be permitted to return to workplace if necessary.
"The critical worker exemption scheme we announced this month will enable eligible household contacts to return to work during their isolation periods by returning a daily negative Rapid Antigen Test, and should it become necessary, we may consider supporting probable or confirmed cases to return to work," he stated.
The new policies aim to avoid crippling the supply chains and keep essential services going without disruption, a problem faced by nations that struggled against the spread of the Omicron variant.
Read more: Majority of workers concerned about returning to the workplace
RATs accessibility
Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) will also become the primary form of testing to ease the pressure on testing and contact-tracing services over the next three to six weeks.
RATs will soon become accessible to "hundreds of locations around the country," said Hipkins, to make tests much easier for the public. RATs will also be sold soon in retail outlets to make them more accessible to the public and businesses.
"Locations which have RATs available can be found on the HealthPoint website. PCR testing will be reserved for people where it’s clinically indicated they need it. A PCR test will no longer be required to verify a positive RAT result," explained the minister.
Businesses want more
The Auckland Business Chamber welcomed the government's move in going to the third phase of its Omicron response plan. However, it lamented how RATs remain inaccessible to all New Zealand residents.
"RATs coming to a supermarket shelf near you 'soon' is not good enough when the system and supply are overwhelmed by demand," said the chamber's CEO, Michael Barnett, in a statement.
"Every New Zealand resident should be able to take a RAT test right now to confirm they are safe to go to work, back to school, or get out and about to support struggling local businesses and our dead city centre," he added.
According to Barnett, the government "needs a dose of reality" and "stop going down the track of officials determining who are critical workers and eligible for RATs and accelerate the introduction of retail sales for the public."
