‘RATs are also available for purchase in some retail stores now for people who are not unwell or household contacts but want a RAT for other reasons. ‘People can still access free RATs without an order via Community Testing Centres, but only for an eligible individual. ‘The ability to place an order online ensures that the process is smoother when people go to collect them. It also means that the whole whānau don’t need to queue up at the testing centre when one person in the household gets sick, because you’ll be able to collect RATs for everyone in your household,’ says Jo Pugh. And with the addition of participating pharmacies and GPs, there are now more than 500 access points for RATs, with additional sites continuing to be opened across the motu. There are 146 collection sites, 106 testing centres, and 21 providers supporting our priority population groups nationwide. ‘These new RATs are flowing through the supply chain and into collection sites where they can be accessed by anyone assessed as needing one.’ ‘On top of the 15 million that arrived last week, 2.6 million RATs arrived on Tuesday, followed by a delivery of 5.1 million RATs on Wednesday. ‘We have a good supply of RATs to meet demand during Phase Three of our Omicron response. ‘It’s one of a range of ways we are make testing more readily available for those who need it,’ says Jo Pugh, Acting Group Manager of COVID-19 Testing and Supply. If you are symptomatic or a household contact, you can now order rapid antigen tests (RATs) through the newly launched RAT requester site.

5.1 test online