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Kia ora,

 

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-----Original Message-----
From: C Nowland <[FYI request #19018 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 31 March 2022 12:45 pm
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Determining Omicron variant on
rapid antigen test samples

 

Dear Ministry of Health

 

Following a positive result on a rapid antigen test, the person is
required by the Ministry of Health to register their positive result
online (to ‘My Covid Record) while the physical sample is discarded into
the rubbish, and is not required by the MOH to be sent to a lab or testing
facility for further tests to determine what variant the person has
contracted. 

 

The statement below from beehive.govt 1/2/22, based on modelling, states
how many rapid antigen tests would soon be circulating in NZ:

 

“Modelling on the use of rapid antigen tests through the outbreak suggests
that during the peak we may be using as many as nine million RATs a week
which is equivalent to testing a quarter of New Zealand every day, or all
of New Zealand twice a week.

From 
[3]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

 

PM Ardern has stated in recent announcements that she would not consider
the dropping of certain mandates due to the number of Omicron cases or
until the 'Omicron peak' passes.

 

PM Ardern: “While vaccination remains critically important in protecting
New Zealanders from Covid-19, we believe that several of the vaccine
mandates could be dropped once the Omicron peak has passed.”

[4]https://scanmail.trustwave.com/?c=15517&...

 

Please answer the following:

 

For the period 1/1/22 to 31/3/22, based on evidential data (not
modelling), what has been the predominant method of testing for covid in
NZ, rapid antigen or PCR tests?

 

How is it being determined, when testing with rapid antigen tests, that
the variant is Omicron when rapid antigen positive test samples are not
required by the Ministry of Health to be sent to a lab or testing facility
for further genomic sequencing to determine what the variant is?

 

What is the total number of Omicron cases determined from rapid antigen
tests from 1/1/22 to 31/3/22?  

 

Yours faithfully,

 

C Nowland

 

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Kia ora,

 

Thank you for your email of 31 March 2022 . A response to each part of
your request is as follows:

 

For the period 1/1/22 to 31/3/22, based on evidential data (not
modelling), what has been the predominant method of testing for covid in
NZ, rapid antigen or PCR tests?

 

This information can be found in the COVID-19 daily updates published on
the Ministry of Health (The Ministry) website:
[1]https://www.health.govt.nz/covid-19-nove....
Please note, the testing numbers in the Ministry’s updates do not include
tests carried out by private sector organisations which are not carried
out as part of the COVID-19 public health response.

 

How is it being determined, when testing with rapid antigen tests, that
the variant is Omicron when rapid antigen positive test samples are not
required by the Ministry of Health to be sent to a lab or testing facility
for further genomic sequencing to determine what the variant is?  What is
the total number of Omicron cases determined from rapid antigen tests from
1/1/22 to 31/3/22?

 

Whole genome sequencing to determine variant type is not carried out in
New Zealand on positive test samples from Rapid Antigen Tests. Whole
genome sequencing is carried out by ESR on positive PCR test swabs
forwarded to it by testing facilities. More information can be found at
the following link:
[2]https://www.esr.cri.nz/our-expertise/cov....

 

Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to
review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be
contacted by email at: [3][email address] or by calling 0800
802 602. 

 

Ngâ mihi 

 

OIA Services

Government Services

Office of the Director-General

Ministry of Health

E: [4][email address]

 

 

 

 

 

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