6. Question No. 6—HealthDr SHANE RETI (National—Whangarei) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 6—Health6. Dr SHANE RETI (National—Whangarei) to the Minister of Health: How would he rate the performance of his coronavirus testing policies for effectiveness and economic recovery?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Health): In the context of 440000 tests having been completed and the fact that we are now 83 days since our last case of community transmission in New Zealand I would say that our response to coronavirus including our testing regime has been incredibly effective. However as I've said many times there is no room for complacency. I have been concerned that over the school holidays testing rates have not been at the level that we would expect in order to provide New Zealanders with a level of reassurance that there is no further COVID-19 emerging within the community and the Ministry of Health is working with all of the relevant stakeholders to ensure that testing rates come up again. In terms of the economy I would repeat what the Prime Minister has always said—that the view of this Government is that a very good health response is the best thing we can do for our economy. Unlike many around the world New Zealand is now one of the freest economies in the world with New Zealanders having most of their ability to move freely around the country and interact on a day-to-day basis as they normally would restored—very very different to what other countries are experiencing. Dr Shane Reti: Was it a one-star performance of his testing policies last Sunday when instead of the 4000 daily tests he has indicated only eight people were tested in the community?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Of course that's not eight tests in total; that's eight people tested in the community. There were tests in managed isolation and people working at the border in addition to that on that day. But no those are not the levels of tests that we're expecting. But I do want to make clear though that the testing numbers in the community will fluctuate on a day-to-day basis but we certainly wouldn't expect them to be that low.Dr Shane Reti: How much Government funding was used across the country last Sunday to test eight people in the community; and how does he rate that economic performance?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The level of funding required is the level of funding that will be supplied. So if more funding is required for more testing to take place the Government will supply more funding in order for the testing to take place. Those levels of testing that the member's referred to are not good enough. Since that time further guidance has been issued to ensure that those testing rates are coming back up again.Dr Shane Reti: How many people in managed isolation have tested positive at the day three test given there were two last Sunday; and how does he rate his day three testing policy?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I don't have with me the exact number who've tested positive at day three but I would note that a number of people who tested negative at day three tested positive at day 12. What that shows is that our policy of having two tests—one about three days after people arrive and one about 12 days after they arrive—is helping us to pick up cases that might otherwise go undetected. I do note that day three is about the right period of time—and all of the evidence is suggesting that's about the right period of time given the incubation period for the virus—to pick up most of the cases coming across the border. But it doesn't pick up absolutely all of them and there are still cases of people who have tested negative at day three coming up with a positive result on day 12 and that's why the testing regime we've got in place is the right one.Hon Grant Robertson: What impact does the Minister believe it would have had on testing and the cost of testing if the Government had agreed with the Opposition's calls to open up the borders?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The need for testing would be significantly higher because if we had reopened the border or created the trans-Tasman bubble with Australia at the time we were being urged to do so we could be Melbourne where they are seeing hundreds of new cases on a daily basis and that is involving extensive levels of testing within their community that we do not need in New Zealand at the moment because we do not have community transmission.Dr Shane Reti: Given then that he is so pleased with day three testing in managed isolation how does he account for his answer to written questions where he states that day three testing is not compulsory?SPEAKER: Order! Order! I'm going to ask the member to rephrase his question. There was quite a lot at the beginning which was nothing to do with the question. Just ask the last bit which is the question.Dr Shane Reti: How does he respond to written questions stating that day three testing is not compulsory given people are still testing positive to day three?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Because the testing that is required—the compulsory testing—is when somebody is going to be leaving managed isolation. They will not be able to leave managed isolation or quarantine without there being a negative test. If they refuse the day three test then it doesn't make a heck of a lot of difference because they will still be picked up further down the track. But the key issue here is that day three testing helps us to ensure that those people are getting any support that they may require.