Should employers get their staff tested before they come back to work?
Dr Os Mansoor, Hauora Tairāwhiti Medical Officer of Health does not recommend this.
Testing people without symptoms doesn’t provide useful information on which to base staffing decisions on.
- The test only shows what is happening on that day and does not provide any assurance beyond that moment. For example, someone could be incubating COVID-19 and this wouldn't show through the test.
- Employers should instead concentrate on looking out for any cold or flu symptoms, or loss of taste/smell” and encourage staff to seek immediate advice via their GP or Healthline. This is free every day of the week. Employers should put such checks in place with their employees. Daily checking in for instance, before commencing work.
- People who have any symptoms should get tested by contacting their GP or going to the War Memorial Theatre Assessment Centre. They need to stay home and avoid contact with others until they receive their results.
- They should not go to work, or come into contact with anyone outside their bubble unless seeking health advice. They shouldn’t return to work until 48 hours after they have recovered irrespective of test results; and will need to stay home and avoid contact with others until the test returns.
- Here are the symptoms employers should be looking out for and where to get tested.
