I am busy with the COVID-19 response plan and put this scenario in place.

Employee tests positive for omicron and told to isolate for 10 days need to test immediately, on day 5 and 8.

A PCR test will be required when a RAT is positive to verify that the person still has omicron.

At this point, the person that is positive with omicron, needs to climb in their car, drive to the clinic for the test, as the test free and GP does not do covid testing).

The pop up clinic is only open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays from 10am to 2pm and the results are normally sent via a text. Or alternatively, they can phone a medical center who does free tests for a limited time per day for free tests.

Verification is required so that employee can email their employer, so that they can apply for COVID-19 Short Term Absence Payment and/or COVID-19 Leave Payment via Work and Income on the employees behalf. Would work and Income accept a text???

COVID-19 Healthline cannot let me know what verification is required as that is a Work and Income issue.

Tried to call Work and Income, and there is a 57 wait time before I can speak to an operator, so sent them an email instead. As from what I have been told from one source, is that the employee gets a email, which they would forward to the person and they would need to send it on to the employee the test result are normally sent via text. As they will not process any of the subsidies without verification.

So can the employee forward the text, with the PCR result from the community clinic as verification or is this an email from National Investigation and Tracing Centre, GP or health provider???

As on the website information their criteria is some what confusing as they state the following

'...Employees who meet the eligibility criteria

A named employee has advised you that they have been advised to self-isolate because:
they have COVID-19; or
they are a close contact of a person who has COVID-19; or
they are, or have household members who are, in the category of people who are most at risk of severe illness from COVID-19 (as defined in public health guidance)

A named employee has advised you that they are the parent or caregiver of a dependant who has been advised to self-isolate....).

And then a few bullets points down the page

'...Employees who do not meet the eligibility criteria

Each named employee is not:
a household member or secondary contact (as defined in public health guidelines) of a person who has been identified as a close contact of a person who has COVID-19; or
a casual contact of a person who has COVID-19; or
is sick with “COVID-19-like” symptoms and is staying home while waiting for a COVID-19 test result but will return to work if the test result is negative...'

So this is confusing as the first paragraph states the eligibility and the next paragraph negates it.

The process is not very clear. Waiting for feedback on my email for clarification. Unless anyone else in the group is clear on the process?

Reference:
https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/online-services/covid-19/declaration-leave-support-scheme.html