The Government couldn’t have set-up a more bureaucratic system for businesses trying to access rapid antigen tests, says FGC.
Chief Executive Katherine Rich says under the new system announced yesterday, workers have to front up with at least six different pieces of paper – letters, IDs, order numbers and texts – which is why FGC argued it would be better for these tests and the systems to be in the hands of businesses.
“If larger businesses can’t handle the tests themselves then the Government runs the risk of large number of workers who may be close contacts leaving their place of work and going right around the community to pick up these individual tests.
“There’s a much more efficient way of doing this.
“I’m pleased there has been a lot more honesty about how close contacts would be identified. For a long-time it had been the businesses had been identifying close contacts because they had waited ‘days and days’ to hear from the Ministry of Health.
“It just makes sense for the businesses to do the testing and this was happening in Australia rather than having to have a collection point for them, she said.
“It would be much better if, as we thought, the tests would be dispatched to businesses so the tests could be done there and then. It would be more efficient, it would be less costly for everyone, and people can get back to work and keep those shelves filled for New Zealanders.”