The Trusts have given a plethora of rapid antigen tests to community groups in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19 and boost public safety.
Lynette Adams, General Manager of Community Engagement, says it all started when a business friend gifted 6500 tests or RATs to Dhiraj Tejpal, Acting General Manager of Retail. “It was our privilege to be able to redistribute them to groups who work directly with our community,” Lynette says. “With Covid-19 persisting and the continued requirement for rapid antigen tests, we wanted to lend a helping hand and ensure these testing resources reach those who need them the most.”
Charity Give a Kid a Blanket was one of 10 organizations in The West to benefit, netting 1280 individual kits.
Founder Bernie Harfleet says it was great to get something that was still important for families to have available, “but for many that we serve, well down the list of things to buy. Covid-19 has not gone away. It has simply slipped out of the media’s main reporting,” he says. “I see there were 7702 cases reported in the last week and I’m presuming that could mean over 10,000 in reality with non-reporting added in.”
Give a Kid a Blanket has been sending out the RATs to families, he says, as part of their food support initiative with police and public health staff. “We bag them up with the number in the bag informed by the family’s size.”
Dhiraj says he is delighted to see The Trusts supporting The West. “Redistributing the test kits will not only help people stay healthy but will also prevent the spread of Covid-19 in our community. This is a situation where prevention is better than cure.”
You can find instructions on how to use a rapid antigen test here: How to use a RAT | Unite against COVID-19 (covid19.govt.nz)
