Warning against pre-departure tests
The Government is being warned against introducing a predeparture Covid-19 test for desperate New Zealanders attempting to get home from high-risk countries.
Yesterday, the Government announced an extra day one Covid-19 test, in addition to the day three and 12 tests, as an extra layer of protection amid new variants of the virus emerging overseas.
Those tests will begin being taken from December 31.
But it’s the idea of a predeparture test that has some scratching their heads.
Keeping the virus out of New Zealand and more-to-the-point – the community – remains the Government’s priority.
The new proposal of a predeparture test would cover people travelling from Britain, where they’ve gone back into lockdown because of the new variants of the virus.
Anyone required to get a predeparture test would have to pay for it themselves.
Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles said that may create unfair barriers. ‘‘The problems with requiring a test is where do people get a test, how available is it to get a test, and how reliable are the tests that people get ... and then there’s the problem of who can afford the test,’’ Wiles said.
It may not stop the virus either, she said. ‘‘There’s no guarantee that when you get tested and you test negative, that you then wouldn’t become positive en route to the airport, or on the plane.’’
Minister for Covid-19 Response Chris Hipkins called the predeparture test an extra hurdle, and said it had not been considered lightly.
The Government would not leave people in the lurch, he said. ‘‘We would give people notice before we hit the go button.’’
There was still a lot to figure out and get sorted, he said.
The pre-departure measures could be in place from midJanuary. –