Only three types of rapid antigen tests were approved by early December 2021 because the Labour Government didn’t bother processing applications for two months, National’s COVID-19 Response spokesperson Chris Bishop says.

“Companies were lining up to get RATs into New Zealand in the final quarter of 2021, but the Government just sat on the applications without processing them.

“It took the imminent arrival of Omicron in January 2022 for the Government to begin approving tests again, which is simply not good enough.

“Despite being widely available around the world, Kiwi businesses were crying out for rapid tests in 2021 to help keep their staff safe. New Zealand was too slow to adopt saliva testing and far too slow to prepare for rapid antigen testing as the independent testing review by Professor David Murdoch said in October 2021.

“I have already written to the Auditor-General asking him to review the procurement and administration of rapid tests in New Zealand and this should be added to the scope of the review.

“The Labour Government were too slow, didn’t order enough and didn’t approve enough tests. Then, when tests were desperately required at the beginning of the year, the tests we did have were immediately confiscated for the private sector.

“Rapid tests in New Zealand have been a shambles from start to finish and New Zealanders deserve better.”

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