People on the same flight as New Zealand's first coronavirus case were refused testing, despite one of them reporting to Healthline feeling unwell says National MP Michael Woodhouse.
His comments in Parliament today relate to passengers who flew into Auckland from Bali on Emirates flight EK450 on Wednesday February 26.
A person in their 60s returning from Iran who was on that flight was confirmed as having Covid-19 two days later.
Meanwhile the Government is ramping up efforts to lessen the economic impact of the outbreak.
In comments addressed to Health Minister David Clark in the House, Mr Woodhouse says he has had "reports from passengers on that flight describing what actually went on".
He claims people on the half-full flight moved around during the nearly eight-hour journey, increasing the risk of transmission from the now confirmed case.
"There are passengers who have been unwell, having come off that flight, who did move around - who moved to spare seats close to where the affected passenger was - who have presented at health authorities and been told, because of the strict criteria for testing, that they themselves would not be tested," Mr Woodhouse said in Parliament today.
"Now, if it's true that this isn't an issue of cost and that the goal of the Government is to provide reassurance, then I would have thought that a speedy and timely testing of those passengers — if only to ease their anxiety — would be appropriate.
"That was certainly the issue that was being raised by senior doctors from Wellington Hospital this morning."
Mr Woodhouse told 1 NEWS one of those on the flight with the confirmed coronavirus case told him they called Healthline two days after the flight as they felt unwell.
The person told Mr Woodhouse that Healthline said they didn't need to be tested as they didn't have a fever - and could return to work on Monday.
Mr Woodhouse said the person instead went to a GP where they were told they had a respiratory infection and were then tested for Covid-19, a result that came back negative.
The National MP criticised the Government for not testing all those who arrived on the same flight as the confirmed case given there is enough testing capacity to do so.
A second person who was on the flight and was seated a few rows away from the confirmed case told Mr Woodhouse they were not told to self-isolate and were anxious because they worked in an industry where they have close contact with people.
"It would be easy to test these people and relieve their anxiety as the cost and availability of testing isn't an issue," Mr Woodhouse said.
Mr Woodhouse went on to say a World Health Organisation (WHO) report released on Friday outlined that one in eight of the confirmed coronavirus cases in China were in people who had no fever, suggesting testing criteria in New Zealand needs to be broadened.
Health Minister David Clark backed the Government's methods in his response to Mr Woodhouse today.
"In respect of testing asymptomatic people, it is against health advice to be testing people who do not have symptoms who do not meet the case definition.
"Doctors and clinical experts are the best-placed people to make those decisions about who should be tested, and I would note that in the Wellington region alone, there is capacity to test 200 people per day.
"We're only around 200 for the last month in terms of clinical decisions, and we've only yet had one that has tested positive.
"So I'm confident in our public health experts, in the scientific advice, and in the decisions being made by the doctors in this country, and I suggest that the member is better to take medical and health advice on this issue to get in behind the response of those health experts," Mr Clark said.
The exchange comes as two people in New Zealand who were deemed suspected cases tested negative to Covid-19 today.
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