Phase 3 of the Omicron response will arrive ‘shortly’, here is what that means – Stuff.co.nz

With thousands of new Covid-19 cases reported each day, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says rules will soon change so fewer people have to isolate.

Ardern said we would move to phase 3 of the Omicron response shortly. When that happened, fewer people would be required to self-isolate if they came into contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19, and people would be able to self-report infections rather than relying on PCR (polymerase chain reaction) lab testing.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield will be announcing the next steps in the response to the Omicron outbreak at midday on Thursday.

Alongside the Covid-19 traffic light system, the Government has been operating a three-phase approach to Omicron. As more people catch Covid-19, stretching the public health system and taking people out of the workforce, the country has been moving from phase 1, stamp it out, to phase 3.

READ MORE:* Covid-19: 1160 new community cases, 56 in hospital with virus* Covid-19 NZ: What 'phase 2' of Omicron response will mean for isolation times, testing* The end of MIQ: How self-isolation for travellers will work

Last week, New Zealand moved to phase 2. The change meant people who had caught Covid-19 no longer needed to isolate for 14 days and could instead leave self-isolation after 10 days.

For close contacts, who had to isolate for 10 days at phase 1, they can leave self-isolation after seven days.

Phase 2 also started the use of rapid antigen tests (RATs) for certain workplaces, and lately to ease the demand for PCR testing.

Workplaces deemed critical to the supply chain or public good were able to apply to have their workers return to work after producing a negative Rat result, rather than seven days in isolation.

Ricky Wilson/Stuff

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says phase 3 of the Omicron response will begin soon.

At phase 3, the length of isolation remains the same but the definitions of who is a close contact changes.

Only household contacts, or household-like contacts, will need to isolate for seven days.

People with Covid-19 will still need to isolate for 10 days.

The biggest change at phase 3 will be the change to contact tracing and testing regimes.

Associate Health Minister Ayesha Verrall said that at phase 3, those with Covid-19 should be able to personally notify their close contacts.

She said there would also be greater reliance on self-service testing, rapid antigen testing and technology to identify high risk contacts and to self-report infections.

The focus at phase 3 was self-management of Covid-19, with Government support for those identified as high risk, in need of medical care, or unable to use technology.

There will be continued support for those members of our community who are not digitally enabled, she said.

When she announced the Governments three-phase Omicron response, Verrall said the final stage would begin when cases are in the thousands.

The Ministry of Health reported 3297 new community cases in its daily update on Wednesday.

Ardern said to expect a move to phase 3 fairly shortly.

It means we have narrowed down our definition of who a contact is, and you will see more frequently the use of rapid antigen testing.

Covid-19 testing centres and labs also reported being overwhelmed this week. From Wednesday, Aucklands testing centres would start giving RATs to anyone seeking a Covid-19 test in a bid to take pressure off the labs processing PCR tests.

Bloomfield said there would be 22.5 million RATs delivered to New Zealand this month.

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Phase 3 of the Omicron response will arrive 'shortly', here is what that means - Stuff.co.nz