A Corrections officer who was spat in the face by a prisoner during the Covid-19 lockdown has spent months waiting to find out if he now has a serious disease.
Under the Corrections Act, any officer who comes in to contact with a prisoners bodily fluids must undergo a year of testing for infections like HIV and hepititis, before getting a clean bill of health.
The New Zealand Aids Foundation says saliva is not an effective route of transmission of HIV and studies have shown HIV cannot be transmitted through spitting.
The Corrections Association is now asking the Minister for a law change that would force any prisoner who spits or throws bodily fluids to be tested as well.
Corrections reporter Charlotte Cook has the story.
