March 09, 2022
Rapid Antigen Tests underreported
The Health Ministry’s deputy Director-General Māori says people need to log their results if their rapid antigen test comes up positive.
Since the tests became available, daily case numbers have fluctuated, with under-reporting a factor.
John Whaanga says by the end of the week the Ministry would have distributed three million RATs to iwi and Māori organisations.
Logging the results is important so the ministry knows where to focus its efforts.
“In an environment where we have widespread community transmission it’s really important we know where the hot places are. It is having an impact on our health workforce as people come down with cases but so long as people are, one, utilise the RATS and two, if they can follow through, and there is more than one channel to log your results now,” he says.
John Whaanga says the system is under pressure, especially in Auckland, but the hospitalisation rates aren’t as high as predicted and there is still plenty of capacity.