The government is trialling a new form of Covid-19 test, which it says combines the accuracy of PCR tests with the speed of RATs.
This undated handout photo courtesy of Lucira Health, Inc. shows the prescription molecular diagnostic test for Covid-19. Photo: Supplied / AFP
The tests are called LAMPs - which stands for Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification. They are self-administered and give results with 30 minutes.
The company says they are 98 percent as accurate as high sensitivity PCR tests, but in a fraction of the time.
Associate Minister for Covid-19 Response Dr Ayesha Verrall made the announcement today.
"LAMP tests are both cheaper than PCRs and more convenient: they are self-administered and provide results to users within 30 minutes," she said.
"The accuracy of the LAMP test has already been established through clinical trials."
About 30 Air New Zealand employees will be part of the trial which will run for about three months.
"The purpose of this trial is to prove that the test can be easily self-administered, and that the Air New Zealand crew taking part can quickly identify the results," Dr Verrall said.
"There are many wider benefits that LAMP tests could provide to New Zealanders.
"These include a self-test option with quick results for travellers, border workers, healthcare workers and critical employees prior to travel or commencing work.
"LAMP tests could also be used for high-risk settings such as aged residential care facilities and hospitals."
Once the trial with Air New Zealand staff is complete, a report will be made to the Director-General of Health.
However, the Opposition says the government ignored an offer to trial the tests from the manufacturer almost a year ago.
The National Party's Covid Response spokesperson Chris Bishop said the test manufacturing company offered these tests to the Government in July 2021.
"We should have been using this before now. It's being used in lots of countries around the world.
"In October, November, December when people were waiting 48, 72, sometimes 96 hours, four days, for their PCR test results to come back from the lab, if we had this capability we could have been using it, but unfortunately the ministry didn't get onto it. "