The Government is seizing rapid tests from the private sector to try and hide their incompetence from not ordering enough of them sooner, National Covid-19 spokesperson Chris Bishop says.

“I have been approached by a series of organisations today, all of whom have orders for rapid antigen tests about to be filled. They have been told that those orders cannot be filled because the rapid antigen tests are now going to the Government instead.

“That the Government has now resorted to requisitioning rapid antigen tests from the private sector is a stunning indictment of the Government’s incompetence over rapid antigen testing.

“How many of the 4 million rapid tests currently in New Zealand, that the Prime Minister has been talking about, actually belong to the Government?

“How many of the 14 million tests the Prime Minister says are on order to arrive by the end of February are actually just orders taken from companies?

“The Government banned the importation of rapid antigen testing for most of 2021, only relenting in the final quarter and allowing selected companies to bring in a small number. Having banned their use the Government is now scrambling to get enough rapid tests for its own uses.

“The Government has no one to blame but itself.

“This is redolent of the behaviour of the Government with Rako Science and saliva testing. Rather than just negotiating in good faith with the saliva testing provider, the Government pushed a law through under urgency last year to allow them to seize its assets.”

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