Omicron Update #8: Move to Phase 3 and bulk ordering RAT tests

This update covers:

• Move to Phase 3, what it means for;
  • Testing
  • Case and contact management
  • Isolation
• Using RAT tests in the workplace
• Bulk ordering of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs)
  • Ordering process
  • North Island DHBs
  • South Island DHBs
• Stay connected

Move to Phase 3 of the Government’s Omicron response at 11.59pm tonight

The Government has announced that New Zealand will move to Phase 3 of the Omicron response at 11.59pm on Thursday 24 February 2022. 

The move to Phase 3 means that only confirmed cases and household contacts (people who live in the same house) will be required to isolate. 

Critical workers can use RAT tests daily so they can go to work even if they are a household contact, so long as their employer is signed up to the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) close contract exemption scheme (CCES) scheme.

Other people should monitor for symptoms but are not required to self-isolate. 

Below is a summary of what happens under Phase 3. 
 

Testing

• Rapid antigen tests (RATs) will be considered enough to diagnose symptomatic people.
• RATs should be more readily available from doctors, pharmacies and community testing centres. 
• Critical workers can use these tests daily to be able to go to work even if a member of their household is positive, so long as their employer is signed up to the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Close Contract Exemption Scheme (CCES) scheme.

Case and contact management

• Under Phase 3, people testing positive will be notified by text message, not a phone call, and will be sent a link to complete an online contact tracing form.
• You can access your Covid test results and record RAT test results on mycovidrecord.health.nz
• Contacts may be automatically notified from the contact tracing form, but cases can also be expected to notify their close contacts themselves.
• Workers should continue to notify their employer as soon as they receive a positive test.

Isolation

• Isolation times remain the same as the shorter period introduced in phase two: 10 days for positive cases.

Using RATs in the workplace

The Ministry of Health has updated its guidance for Critical Workers using RAT tests.

Click here for a useful chart for workers using daily RAT tests 

Bulk ordering of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs)

The Ministry of Health has introduced a process for the bulk ordering of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs), where critical services/businesses – registered with the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Close Contract Exemption Scheme (CCES) – have worksites with ‘more than 15 critical workers who are also household contacts at a worksite’.  

If that is the case, the Ministry of Health advises that ‘the below can be used instead of individual workers needing to individually collect RATs from a collection site’.

Process to use 

Please select your District Health Board (DHB) from the links and email them with the following information: 

• Business name
• Business unique identifier from the MBIE CCES system
• Contact name
• Contact number
• Affected worksite that has more than 15 critical workers who are close contacts
• Delivery address for the affected worksite
• Number of critical workers who are currently close contacts
• Are you currently working with the local public health unit regarding the cases and contacts at your worksite? – Yes/No

Stay connected

If you have a specific question or concern, please email Covid@hortnz.co.nz.

Please also try and stay connected, and consider using these services, which growers have said have been helpful:

• FarmStrong
• Mentemia
• Need to Talk? 1737