Rapid antigen tests are being deployed across Auckland as lab crews struggle with increasing demand.
Photo: 123RF
Some people in Auckland have been forced to wait up to five days for a result - and health authorities have been at pains to stress only those who need a test should be turning up.
Today, rapid antigens have been available at testing sites - a DIY option lab workers hope will ease the load.
Winding lines of cars were causing traffic delays at South Seas testing station in Ōtara.
"We've been waiting for like two hours or more" said one woman.
"Probably an hour hour and a half," said another carload.
New Zealand Institute of Medical Laboratory Science president Terry Taylor said the demand for testing had been immense.
"This is a workforce under siege, it's really difficult for them to put results through in a timely fashion. At the moment they have effectively been inundated in the last three to four days, and although we did have a sense that this was going to happen, it's just put an enormous pressure on those staff."
Taylor said rapid antigen testing would ease the load on testing at labs - but would not stop the queues at testing sites.
"They're having a lot of difficulty with randoms just turning up and what we call the worried, well sitting in the queues as well. So I guess the whole triage system may assist in getting rid of that, but it also takes a lot of public health staff resources as well."
The numbers through the South Seas site were around 800-1000 swabs a day.
They were already short staffed so had to get extras in to help screen cars to make sure those in the queue needed a test - and manage the traffic build up.
Jonive was one person given a RAT instead of a PCR today - he was a close contact and a critical worker.
"[It's] faster doing this so just get it done now, rather than later," he said.
For others like Ruta who needed a test to go back to work after woking from home, the DIY way was a much easier option.
"RAT is very really convenient for us essential workers, so that way we don't have to wait for you know two or three days just to isolate, we can just get the job done."
Health officials hope RAT testing will shorten the gap on results being returned - but are urging people to be patient and continue to expect delays.