Isolating to protect from COVID-19 in the community “The preference is to encourage vaccination and retain vaccine mandates as the best approach to reducing COVID-19 risks and ensuring they do not continue to live in isolation.” (Submission) Despite requirements around both vaccination and masks in certain settings during the Omicron response, some submissions shared concerns that the lessening restrictions overall have led some disabled people to choose to effectively isolate themselves either with whānau, the people they live with, or a small bubble of close contacts. Submissions likened this to home detention, leading to feelings of isolation and stress and a restriction on their own freedoms for the benefits of others: “The difference between a nationwide lockdown and a community needing to use self-imposed lockdown to mitigate risk means that supports that should be in place are not in place and life becomes even more challenging and isolating for disabled people in contrast to the increased freedom and community participation others are enjoying.” (Submission) In some settings, particularly workplaces and schools, the decisions made by disabled people to stay home attracted unwelcomed scrutiny, leading (in the case of schools) to parents feeling frustrated and as if their concerns for their children were not being taken seriously: “We have every right to stay at home if school doesn’t feel safe. Parents feel like schools are not taking disabled students or their whānau rights to keep themselves safe from Omicron as a valid response.” (Submission) Access to and use of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) As part of the Omicron response, testing has moved from primarily PCR testing to RATs, which can be self-administered at home. There was general support for a move to less invasive and quicker testing, as offered by RAT kits, but there were still issues in accessing the kits. They were either too expensive for people who paid out of pocket (to have them delivered from an online supplier), or (earlier during the outbreak) could only be accessed through a collection site, which could be hard to find and required travel: “Testing should allow for reasonable accommodations, but these things are not happening.” (Submission) 27