Excellent Jo, that's a good number of tests done.

Our trouble is still about accessing the RATs.
We are hoping the community transmission is still low while the RAT are not widely accessible.

Interesting to note the MoH guide might not be correct for all testing kits on the "read your result" timing. Access Bio CareStart is read result within 10-15mins (same as MoH guide). Roche (SD Biosenser) is read result within 15-30mins. Abbott Panbio and Siemens (Healgen) Clinitest are read within 15-20mins. After those prescribed timing, the results tend to show false positive.
These are the four currently approved RAT authorised by MoH.

The Australia Therapeutic Goods Administration under Department of Health published a list of approved RAT. Looks like Access Bio CareStart and Roche have a lower clinical sensitivity, while Abbott Panbio and Siemens Clinitest have higher clinical sensitivity. Worth noting when you are picking a brand for your testing.

Correct. Auckland border testing is free link but not free when you fly anywhere on Air NZ unvaccinated on or after 15 Dec.

At $2000+/year per employee, I don't think we can afford to do that every 3 days.
When we start using it, if someone tested positive on RAT, all close contact will be sent to do the PCR test. They get to come back to work after they get the official result on txt. Then they do another PCR test on Day 5, but they don't get stand down on Day 5 unless they are symptomatic.

I guess the 0.4% false positive rate is an acceptable margin of error, just wish it causes less disruption to the business when one is tested positive.

A few of our current clients have finally moved from the $4,000+ per year overseas based company and gone to Tōtika. It wasn't easy to say we are not paying the bill and not needing their service anymore. They wanted to talk to other "Managers" in the company, as "Co-ordinators or Advisors" are not good enough to cancel their membership that we no longer need.

Our client said Tōtika is free to sign up and use. So we thought we will give it a go.
We contacted them, and they said Tōtika is a framework. It is not a pre-qual system.
In order to get our system checked under Tōtika, we need to sign up with one of the four pre-qual scheme that are aligned with Tōtika. Funny hah?
The cheapest one is around $2,000 per year. Not free is it? Apparently due to the size and type of our company (around 100 staff and medium risk industry), we don't qualify for the free one.

One of our new client has asked for this to be done soon before we start working for them.
It will take ages to get all their questions answered and not looking forward to it :sad:

I was under the impression that all PCR Covid testing was free of charge (link), are you paying $160 per test to a private lab to speed up the turnaround for the results or something else? — MattD2

No, the government isn't paying for travel or monitor related tests (e.g. in and out of NZ or travel on Air NZ when they are not fully vaccinated or as a company's monitor programme). Air NZ requires this to be completed before they are allowed onboard if they are not already have My Vaccine Pass. link
Effectively it is the same PCR test, goes to the same lab. They prefer us to do them at the GP, not at a public testing place.

Breaking news from RNZ looks like you can get RAT done at a pharmacy and get the result within 15mins for travel within a day. This would save a lot of money for those non vaccinated needing a pre departure test.

Accuracy NYTimes RNZ RNZ Stuff I can't find the exact RNZ clip, but they all mentioned it. Shame they don't have a history list on my RNZ app.

I can't see we would be able to do this frequently for all staff based on the cost, and as you said, the accuracy is rather low.

It would be better if they are like the ISO accredited drug test results. It's either a positive or negative, not a maybe.

I was listening to an article on RNZ last week, and some interesting facts no one talks about.

RAT done by medical professional is accurate around 85%. RAT done by the general public is accurate around 50%. A lot of public ones have turned out to be invalid due to how they are being done or they don't poke up the nose far enough or don't screw the cap tight afterwards. There is one that you wipe the

RAT can only detect when one has a high viral load. A lot of infected don't have a high viral load for a long period of time, so it is hard to catch.

A negative RAT doesn't mean they are negative for Covid19. They can be tested positive in a PCR at the same time, or get a positive RAT in the next few days. I worried about people getting a negative result and think they are Covid19 free.

If they are tested positive, they are sent to the public PCR testing station and stay home until they have received a negative test result. RAT is an additional monitoring tool, like a thermometer to check for fever.

To be effective, we need to do RAT frequently (e.g. every three days) for everyone (vaccinated or not). This brings the accuracy close to 98%. We bought two boxes of the RAT. They are $20 each and we have over 120 staff... Not a cheap exercise!

We are also stuck with paying for non vaccinated staff to do their non government funded tests ($160!) for their travel. Shame the RAT wouldn't help, as the result needs to come from a lab.

Having worked at two supermarkets before, I was very lucky my second shop owner was the first in the city (probably country) to have all four wheels pivoting. When we opened the new shop with them, I received a few irate customers complaining it is silly and don't understand why.

Modern shops have a concrete barrier at one of the two entrances (especially when they faces South) to alleviate the wind and ram raids, but this hinders the line of trolleys going into the trolley bay. The all wheels pivoting trundlers have immense advantage in negotiating those corners.

As a customer, I find it tricky to shift a trolley sideways with non-pivoting rear axle when there is a blockage in front of you in the aisle. I basically have to lift the rear axle off the ground to enable a sharp sideways shift.

Or as a staff member, you have to lift the rear axle up to make changes to direction of travel, putting strains on many muscles.

I have seen electric trundler pushers in Coles, but not here, unless they are attached to a golf cart or on a trailer. I don't think the trolley maker Wanzl makes them for supermarket trolleys, but they do for Airport carts. It works by scooping the carts up.