6. Question No. 6—COVID-19 ResponseCHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister for COVID-19 ResponseQuestion No. 6—COVID-19 Response6. CHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Is he satisfied with the supply of and administration of rapid antigen tests in New Zealand as part of New Zealand's response to Omicron; if not why not?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): In answer to the question of supply the short answer to that is no. We are dealing with a significant shortage of rapid antigen tests globally and whilst New Zealand has been able to secure a supply of rapid antigen tests to meet our immediate needs of course we would like more. In answer to the second part of the question around the administration of rapid antigen tests in New Zealand the answer to that question is yes. As I've just noted we have at least 7.2 million rapid antigen tests currently in the country. Millions more are arriving each week. Twenty-three million rapid antigen tests have been confirmed for delivery by the end of this month. More than 50 million tests have been confirmed for delivery in March. Over 100 million more are on order to the end of June. A national distribution model for rapid tests has also been developed meaning an estimated 3.1 million tests have been distributed across the country already in preparation for phase 2. As we move into this new phase we know that rapid antigen tests will be used more widely and they'll be a very important tool in our response to Omicron. However it is important to note that they are not a silver bullet and we will continue to take a considered and science-based approach towards our use of these tests to ensure that our response is fit for purpose.Chris Bishop: Why are only businesses and their workers deemed critical allowed to use rapid antigen testing as part of the Close Contact Exemption Scheme and why can't all businesses use the scheme to get their workers back to work?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: In an environment where the international supply of rapid antigen tests is constrained the Government wants to make sure that our most critical businesses—the ones we rely on for our food and in order to keep our essential utilities operating—are able to access them. Businesses who can source rapid antigen tests themselves are of course able to use them. But like the Government they are also finding that the international supply of those is quite constrained.Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: Can the Minister confirm that the Close Contact Exemption Scheme allows a worker to continue working despite having a household member who has COVID-19 and the likelihood of contracting COVID in that situation is over 30 percent therefore deeming it to be an exemption regime rather than one that is used as commonplace? Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Yes—absolutely. We want people who have been close contacts with people who have COVID-19 to be isolating unless there is a very very good reason for them not to. In fact in the conversations that I've had with many businesses what they wanted from the Government was a supply of rapid antigen tests to do surveillance testing of their workforce—not to test people so that they could go back to work if they are a close contact—and when it is made clear to them that the testing that we are supplying is for close contacts to go back to work in fact many of them have indicated they don't want to participate in that scheme unless they absolutely have to because they want to protect their other workers in the workforce and reduce the risk of them also having to stay home because they end up getting COVID-19. Brooke van Velden: Does he believe that wider availability of rapid antigen tests could avoid situations like a single case in Queenstown forcing 51 staff across nine businesses to isolate? Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Without knowing the details of exactly what the requirement for isolation is and what the risk profile of that is it would be unwise to venture an opinion on that. In terms of the use of rapid antigen tests yes I think we will see a much wider use of rapid antigen tests particularly for surveillance testing and where businesses are able to—Chris Bishop: If they can get them. Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: —access those—if they can get them of course. But at the moment there is a very limited supply available to anybody in New Zealand. Brooke van Velden: Does he agree that a sensible policy would allow all people to leave self-isolation if they test negative? Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Not necessarily. It's important to remember that some of the rapid antigen tests that we have—the lowest level of efficacy that we've approved in New Zealand is an 80 percent efficacy rate for rapid antigen tests. That means that some of those tests still have a one in five chance of missing somebody who has COVID-19. Therefore the reason that we are saying at the moment that to leave self-isolation it should only be in the case of people who are absolutely critical to keep those supply lines open to keep those utilities functioning and so on—it is because we want to reduce the risk of them passing on COVID-19 to others. Chris Bishop: In relation to his first supplementary answer is he saying that if more rapid antigen tests were available—in other words supply was not constrained—the Government would open up the Close Contact Exemption Scheme to all businesses who are not just critical? Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: No that's not what I've said. To be clear here: the Close Contact Exemption Scheme is about allowing people who could have COVID-19 and who could have contracted COVID-19 from a close contact to still be able to go back to work in order to keep supply lines open and in order to keep the lights on. In terms of surveillance testing that is a matter for businesses. If they can secure supplies of rapid antigen tests to provide some additional assurance then of course they would be able to do that. Chris Bishop: Does he agree with the comments of the Prime Minister yesterday that wait times increase or processing increase for PCR we are all ready to go with rapid antigen tests to supplement that"—Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: Yes. Chris Bishop: —oh that's good know; thanks for that—and when will rapid tests be available for ordinary members of the public to access who are currently lining up in testing queues for hours? Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: We are intending to supplement PCR tests with rapid antigen testing. That'll of course depend on the overall level of demand and the need to get timely test results. Of course PCR tests are more accurate and therefore we will be still making extensive use of PCR tests but they will be supplemented with rapid antigen tests. Chris Bishop: Why does a critical worker who wants a rapid test have to provide an order number two separate letters two forms of ID their vaccine pass and a text message before they can go and get a rapid test and can this bureaucracy really be—Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern: That is not true. Chris Bishop: —it is true—and can this—[Interruption] What Mr Speaker? SPEAKER: Well does the member want to talk to his colleague who also interjected? Well it might have been a laugh but it was a very loud noise while the member was talking. Chris Bishop: I'll start again—SPEAKER: Prime Minister no matter how provoked I'd prefer that you didn't interject. Thank you. Chris Bishop: Why does a critical worker who wants a rapid test have to provide an order number two separate letters two forms of ID their vaccine pass and a text message before they can go and get a rapid test and can this bureaucracy really be justified? Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I reject the premise of the member's question. As I indicated in my answer earlier: in fact some of those businesses have been given rapid antigen tests in advance so that they are available to their workers when they need them."