The Government is being urged to fast track approval for a self-administered nasal Covid-19 test which delivers results in 30 minutes.
Entrepreneur Sir Ian Taylor is among those calling for the Government to approve Lucira, which experts say will help New Zealand weather the impending Omicron storm.
“This is really a laboratory in your hand,” Taylor said.
NZ Institute of Medical Laboratory Science president Terry Taylor worries that New Zealanders could see delays in getting results from PCR tests in the midst of Omicron.
“I am concerned a little bit that might start happening … as the blow torch really starts on our testing capacity,” he said.
The National Party says the Government has been too slow to roll out rapid antigen tests.
“Lucira first approached the Government, as I understand it, in July 2020 and here we are in February 2022," said National Covid-19 spokesperson Chris Bishop.
"A test that is used in Canada, in Singapore, in Israel, approved in all of those countries, FDA approved in the United States, it’s not used here in New Zealand, and yet again New Zealand is far behind the rest of the world.”
Bishop said many people are not getting tested because they don't want to isolate while waiting for the results.
“People are waiting sometimes three, four, five days to get the PCR result back,” he said.
“The Lucira test provides a PCR equivalent result in just 30 minutes. It's a real game changer.
“The potential use in New Zealand is massive and we now need the Government to move very quickly to introduce technology like this."
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