Updates to eligibility for free rapid antigen tests (RATs) and masks

• You no longer need to have COVID-19 symptoms or be a household contact to collect free RATs.
• Make sure you order online first, only order what you need, and remember that our larger community collection sites have the most stock on site.
• Not all our sites are distributing free medical masks with RATs. Check individual site Healthpoint listings first if you wish to receive free medical masks. Please bear with us as we work to increase the supplies of masks at participating collection sites.
• At this stage free N95 and P2 masks are not available at our collection sites. However, we are working to get stock to collection sites that offer masks.

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 or lives with someone who has tested positive needs to isolate for 7 full days.

If you have COVID-19 you do not need to take another test. As long as you have no symptoms after 7 full days of isolation you can return to life/work as normal.

If you have reported your positive result, you will get a text message telling you when your 7 days is finished. This text message can be used as proof for your employer that you are clear to come back to work unless a separate policy is in place requiring a negative test.

If you live with someone who has COVID-19 you should test on days 3 and 7 or if you get symptoms. If your day 7 test is negative and you have no symptoms you can stop isolating on day 8. Remain vigilant for symptoms.

If you still have symptoms on day 7 stay home until 24 hours after your symptoms subside.

If you have already had COVID-19 and someone you live with tests positive within 3 months of your recovery, you do not need to isolate again.

If you had COVID-19 more than 28 days ago and have new symptoms, take a test. If you test positive you will need to isolate again for 7 full days.

Remember:

• Your isolation period starts from the date of your positive test or the day you started having symptoms, whichever came first.
• A positive RAT is enough to confirm you have COVID-19. You do not need a PCR to confirm the result.

No credit? No worries. More information at the following websites *no data needed*

• Health Navigator
• Unite Against COVID-19
• Karawhuia.nz
• The Lowdown NZ

The information included in these tiles will be updated on a Thursday each week. It is snapshot in time created by balancing the need to protect public health with the individual right to privacy. It does not necessarily reflect the level of risk in each community. We reserve the right to change the way this information is provided.

Everyone has a different experience of COVID-19. What's yours? Tell us how COVID-19 affected you and your top tips for recovery.

More than 100,000 people in the greater Wellington region have had COVID-19 since the pandemic, many of them since Omicron arrived on our shores. That's a huge amount of collective knowledge when it comes to looking after yourself and your family and recovering safely.

Your experience could help someone else in our region.

You could include things like:

• how you managed your symptoms
• what it felt like
• how you coped with isolation including if you had kids with COVID-19  
• what help you received from other people to get through COVID-19

Share your tips via our Facebook page or send us a short selfie video that we can share via social media. We're pulling together some of the best tips on our Recovery Tips page.

The country and the greater Wellington region is now in ORANGE under the traffic light settings.

• There are no longer any limits on how many people can come to indoor and outdoor gatherings
• Masks are still required for a lot of indoor settings. The full list is here
• No more seated and spaced requirements at hospitality venues
• Masks are encouraged but no longer required in schools. Some schools may choose to put mask restrictions in place
• You are not required to scan in everywhere you go and businesses/venues etc. are not legally required to display a QR code
• My Vaccine Passes are no longer legally required in order to access any venues, businesses, or facilities. Businesses or venues may still choose to require vaccine passes as part of their efforts to protect staff and customers
• Vaccination is no longer mandated for most sectors. Vaccine mandates remain in place for health and disability workers (including aged care), prison staff and border and MIQ workers.

Find out more about life at orange here.

Remember: The isolation and testing requirements remain the same.

• Anyone who tests positive or lives with someone who has COVID-19 needs to isolate for 7 full days
• Anyone who lives with someone who has COVID-19 should take a test on day 3 and day 7
• Anyone who has symptoms should stay home and take a test.

Looking after yourself

For many people COVID-19 will feel like a mild to heavy cold and you're best to treat it in the same way.

• Rest
• Drink plenty of fluids
• Use remedies or over the counter medications to soothe your symptoms.

This tip sheet can give you some ideas or take a look here for more info.

If your symptoms worsen and you are concerned about your health:

• Contact your GP or iwi health provider - 8am-5pm
• Contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453 afterhours

If you or a family member have difficulty breathing, feel seriously unwell or unsafe call 111 immediately and tell them you have COVID-19.

Here's a handy video with tips on making yourself as comfortable as possible while you recover.

Resources

Here are some quick links to websites and materials to help you and your whānau navigate COVID-19 in your whare and your community.

Prepare:

• Household plan and medical information to fill in
• Prepare your whare checklist
• Protect our whakapapa

Test:

• Where to get rapid antigen tests
• How to take a rapid antigen test and what to do if you test positive
• Recording your test result

Isolate:

• Managing your symptoms
• Symptom diary
• Instructions on using a pulse oximeter
• Recovering from COVID-19
• Long COVID

Information and materials in other languages

Information and materials in alternative formats:

• Easy Read
• New Zealand Sign Language
• Audio description
• Large print and audio
• Braille

Look out for misinformation

Misinformation, scams and online harm about COVID-19 and the vaccine work against us at a time when we need to work together to beat the spread of the virus.