Stay at home if you are feeling unwell - if you, or someone in your household develops one or more of the following symptoms for COVID-19 (a runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, loss of smell or taste, shortness of breath), you should take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).
Remember to register your RAT result at https://mycovidrecord.health.nz/ (or call the RAT helpline at 0800 222 478 and choose option 1), so you can be connected with any help and support you might need.
From today, 4 March 2024, recommended COVID-19 testing advice for household contacts of a positive COVID-19 case is changing:
- Household contacts of a positive COVID-19 case who do not have COVID-19 symptoms are no longer recommended to test daily with a rapid antigen test (RAT) for 5 days following a positive COVID-19 case in the household
- If a household contact of a positive COVID-19 case develops one or more COVID-19 symptoms, they are recommended to stay at home and test for COVID-19 using a RAT.
This change aligns with public health guidance that advises RAT testing is generally not recommended when a person does not have any COVID-19 symptoms.
Testing for COVID-19 with RATs remains an important tool to support effective ongoing management of COVID-19 outbreaks in high-risk facilities, help reduce the impact of COVID-19 on hospital admission rates and enable eligible people to access antiviral medications.
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR COVID RAT RESULT IS POSITIVE?
- If you have tested positive for COVID-19, it is recommended you isolate for 5 days
- Isolate even if you only have mild symptoms, starting at Day 0, which is the day your symptoms started or when you tested positive, whichever came first. This means you should not go to work or school.
- If you do need to leave home during your recommended isolation period, it is very important you take precautions to prevent spreading COVID to others. Please don’t visit pēpi, at-risk, or elderly people if you are sick. Many illnesses are very infectious, and they can get very sick, very easily.
- After 5 days, if your symptoms have resolved and you feel well, you can return to your normal activities. We recommend you wear a mask if you need to visit a health and disability care facility or an aged residential care facility, or you have contact with anyone at risk of getting seriously unwell with COVID for 10 days.
- If you are currently in isolation, we recommend you continue isolating until you have completed 5 days. If you have already been isolating for 6 or 7 days, and are well, you can return to your normal activities.
If you need to seek in-person medical care while you have COVID-19, please call ahead before visiting, and follow their instructions. It is recommended that you wear a mask.