The days of pharmacists dispensing free Covid-19 tests are about to come to an end – which health experts fear will create barriers for cash-strapped Kiwis.

Easy-to-use rapid antigen tests (RAT) have been a mainstay of New Zealand’s pandemic toolkit since they were rolled out in 2022 and then made freely accessible with masks.

From next week, however, Kiwis seeking the tests from pharmacies and supermarkets will need to pay for them, with the public funding ending on September 30.

Te Whatu Ora said tests collected now would have a shelf life ranging from next December to May 2027, and encouraged Kiwis to keep using them.

Online, RATs could be purchased for around $6 for a single test or around $30 for a five-pack.

“Testing for Covid-19 using a RAT is still recommended and those with a positive test result should isolate for at least five days, even if they only have mild symptoms, and follow the guidance for people with Covid-19.”

Public health experts have responded to the changeover with dismay.

“It is extremely depressing that the Government continues to remove support for measures that enable people to protect themselves and others from Covid-19,” University of Auckland microbiologist Associate Professor Siouxsie Wiles said.

“Every day, researchers worldwide learn more about how Covid-19 infections can impact us, and the news isn’t good.”

Te Whatu Ora said RAT tests collected now would have a shelf life ranging from next December to May 2027, and encouraged Kiwis to keep using them. Photo / Bevan Conley

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Wiles said the tests remained an important tool and shouldn’t only be available to those who could afford them.

Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker echoed Wiles’ concerns.

“This equity issue matters because RATs are still useful to protect the health of individuals and those around them.”

He pointed out that, not only did the tests remain important for screening, older people or those with underlying health conditions needed a positive test to qualify for antiviral treatment like Paxlovid.

“Such treatment reduces the risk of serious illness, hospitalisation, and Long Covid so has health and economic benefits for New Zealand.”

Covid-19 modeller Professor Michael Plank said ending free RATs could increase inequity, but added the public cost of providing them – and whether that spending could be of more benefit elsewhere in the health system – also needed to be considered.

“The Government spent $410 million on RATs up to July last year and this number will have increased since then,” he said.

“From a public health point of view, the basic message should be that if you are sick, you should try to avoid infecting other people.”

Jamie Morton is a specialist in science and environmental reporting. He joined the Herald in 2011 and writes about everything from conservation and climate change to natural hazards and new technology.

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