News / Events

The Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield have today announced:

New Zealand will move to RED: Phase Three
from 11:59 PM Thursday 24 February 2022 (tonight).

This shift is designed to ease some of the pressure on New Zealand's testing and contact tracing services over the next 3 to 6 weeks, while helping to ensure critical services and supply chains remain operational and the economy keeps moving.

Key changes for RED: Phase Three below, including details for Isolation, Testing, and what to do if You Test Positive.

Isolation:

• Only confirmed cases and their Household Contacts will be required to isolate (instead of previously categorised 'Close Contacts'). This means workplace contacts are no longer required to isolate following a positive test result from a colleague or customer. 
• You are a Household Contact if you live with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. 
• Isolation periods required:
  • Confirmed positive cases must isolate for ten days. 
  • Household Contacts must isolate for 10 days. You must get a test on Day 3 and Day 10 of your isolation. If you develop symptoms you should get a test sooner.
• From Friday 25 February, if you are currently a Close Contact and are part way through your isolation, you do not need to complete your 10 days isolation and you will be permitted to leave. You do not need to get a negative COVID-19 test.
• View an MOH Guide to Contact Types HERE
• If you get a notification from your workplace, school or through the NZ COVID Tracer app that you are a Close Contact, you should monitor your symptoms for 10 days. If you develop symptoms get a test, and you should isolate until you get your result.
• If you think you may be at risk based on the nature of contact you’ve had with confirmed cases you are welcome to voluntarily isolate to mitigate risk or protect vulnerable members of your community.
• Critical workers: RATs will continue to be used to allow critical workers who are household contacts, but are asymptomatic, to return to work. Currently exempt Critical Workers include News Media, however ScreenSafe has the following statement on their website: "We are continuing to support our critical services to operate. 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."

Testing:.

• Supervised RATs (Rapid Antigen Tests) at testing stations and GPs will become the primary diagnosis tool for COVID-19. PCR tests will continue to be used for those who need them.
• RATs outcomes are likely within 15 minutes. Alternatively a positive case will be notified via TEXT message. 
• A new Online Self-investigation tool which will support positive cases to self-notify contacts. If you test positive you will be sent a personal link to access the online tool. 
• RATs are currently available from the testing networks and GPs throughout the country.
• RATs will be widely available for businesses and public purchase from early March.
• Genome testing will continue to be carried out on all cases requiring hospital treatment. 

In order to limit the impact on those most at risk Minister Hipkins asks that everyone act as if you have COVID-19 and look to protect those around you, especially any vulnerable friends, whanau and colleagues.

WATCH the full announcement HERE
READ the full announcment HERE

If You Test Positive:

• If you test positive - isolate, tell your employer and close contacts. This is important for your own contact tracing, and protecting others

There are a number of steps to take should you receive a positive COVID-19 test result. You can find more information HERE, including details of:

• Self-isolation
• Notifying People
• Monitoring Your Symptoms
• Self Care
• Support Available including Medical, Financial etc.

Please note that if you are not able to isolate safely at home, or if you require support such as delivery of health or food supplies, there will be services in your community to support your needs and many of these services are free. Don’t be shy to ask for help if you need it.

Financial Support:

You may also find this previously announced information on Financial Support helpful, or information at ScreenSafe’s COVID-19 page.