133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
14 April 2021
Simon
By email:
[FYI request #14979 email]
Ref:
H202103319
Dear Simon
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Ministry of
Health (the Ministry) on 22 March 2021 for information regarding Cycle Threshold (Ct) values.
My responses to your questions are as follows.
“1: why is New Zealand running at 40?”
Information in response to this part of your request is publicly available at the following links:
•
www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/information-
release/h202100070_26_jan_2021_covid-
19_cycle_threshold_value_for_pcr_testing_0.pdf
•
www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/information-
release/h202008534_11_jan_2021_covid_pcr_testing_cycles_0.pdf
“2: on January 20 WHO change its guidelines, has New Zealand adopted these guidelines?”
Points 1 to 3 of the World Health Organization notice
(https://www.who.int/news/item/20-01-
2021-who-information-notice-for-ivd-users-2020-05) did not require any change to the New
Zealand clinical laboratories performing RT-PCR COVID-19 testing, as all laboratories in the
national network are ISO 15189 accredited, which means these points would already be
incorporated in their standard operating procedures.
In addition, New Zealand laboratories have not adopted reporting of Ct values to the healthcare
provider (Point 4) as the clinical application of the Ct value is uncertain. Ct values are not
standardised across all RT-PCR platforms; therefore, results cannot be compared across
different tests. Furthermore, no clinical studies have validated the use of Ct value to guide
patient management.
“3: what are the current cycle threshold settings?”
Information in response to this part of your request is publicly available at the following link:
www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/information-
release/h202008534_11_jan_2021_covid_pcr_testing_cycles_0.pdf.
I trust this information fulfils your request.
Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
Please note that t
his response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at: www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-official-
information-act-requests.
Yours sincerely
Darryl Carpenter
Group Manager, COVID-19 Immunisation, Testing and Supply
COVID-19 Health System Response
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