COVID-19: Testing Plan and Testing Guidance

COVID-19 testing is a key tool to help New Zealand recover from and live with COVID-19 and continues to be an essential part of the overall COVID-19 response strategy.  

The COVID-19 Testing Plan is informed by COVID-19 Modelling Aotearoa, and what has happened overseas. It provides the framework to support decisions about when and who to test for COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

The COVID-19 Testing Plan is structured in two parts:

• Part One provides the overarching and strategic information in relation to testing;
• Part Two provides an introduction to the operational testing guidance documents and a summary of important information in relation to settings and facilities.

The Testing Plan also includes twelve appendices; each one is a guidance document focused on a particular health care setting.

View the Testing Plan and associated guidance

• Testing Plan for COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand (in full) (PDF, 1.1MB)
• Table 1: Recommended testing by target groups (PDF, 130KB)
• COVID-19 Testing technologies and modalities (PDF, 287KB)
• COVID-19 Laboratory and testing operational guidance (PDF, 163KB)
• COVID-19 Community providers guidance (PDF, 152KB)
• COVID-19 Hospitals & secondary based care facilities guidance (PDF, 181KB)
• COVID-19 Primary care and other clinic-based setting guidance (PDF, 285KB)
• COVID-19 Testing guidance for businesses (PDF, 121KB)
• COVID-19 Testing guidance for Māori and Pacific people within healthcare settings (PDF, 184KB)
• COVID-19 Aged residential care guidance (PDF, 187KB)
• COVID-19 guidance to support access to testing for disabled people (PDF, 158KB)
• COVID-19 Testing of international arrivals guidance (DOCX, 174 KB)

To download any of these documents in both PDF and DOCX formats, visit this page: Testing Plan for COVID-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Testing operational guidance for General Practice and Urgent Care is now embedded in the COVID-19 Primary care and other clinical based settings guidance.