August 17, 2020
Tests a fix for political anxiety
National’s Northcote MP Dan Bidois says everyone who wants a test for COVID-19 should be able to get one.
There has been a huge increase in the number of people turning up for tests over the past week, most of whom have no connection to the south Auckland family at the centre of the latest outbreak.
Ministers and health officials say anxiety is not a good enough reason to be tested, and people not showing symptoms should consult their GP first.
Mr Bidois says that’s at odds with the Government's earlier messages about on the need for mass testing to detect community spread.
He says people faced long queues at the Northcote testing centre.
"Can you imaging waiting in that queue for four or five hours and then being told you're not getting a test because you are not symptomatic? It's just not acceptible. We're announcing our border policy and in that that you will see a commitment I think to ensuring that everybody who wants a test can get a test," he says.
Mr Bidois says National has no confidence in the Government’s quarantine and border security measures.
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