8. Question No. 8—COVID-19 ResponseDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Minister for COVID-19 ResponseQuestion No. 8—COVID-19 Response8. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Does he stand by the Prime Minister's statement in relation to community cases of COVID-19 and Kiwis returning to New Zealand So it's just about looking at those two different groups and making sure we're consistent between the two"; if so how many community cases are currently home isolating?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): Yes I do stand by the Prime Minister's full statement including the following aspects which have been missed by the member. "We are in a transition period … we're piloting and we're doing that both for positive community cases where it is appropriate and we're looking to do that for travellers where it is appropriate and we're also looking at things like shortened managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ)." In response to the second part of the member's question I've been advised by the Ministry of Health that as at 9 a.m. this morning there are currently 86 cases isolating at home following an assessment undertaken as to whether or not that person would be best placed in managed isolation or to be continued to be cared for in their home.David Seymour: If there are 86 people with a positive test for COVID currently able to isolate at home why can't this Government let tens of thousands of Kiwis trapped overseas have a system where they can home-isolate now?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Well many of those tens of thousands of Kiwis won't be just travelling into Auckland they'd be wanting to travel to other parts of New Zealand as well which at the moment we're not allowing home isolation in for COVID-positive cases because there aren't any COVID-positive cases in those communities. But as the Prime Minister has indicated we are in a transition period. The border settings will be changing and that will include looking at the duration of MIQ and it will see greater use of home isolation.David Seymour: Does the Minister know what conditions must be met in order that people coming to New Zealand can skip MIQ—if they're able to get it—and isolate at home; and if he does know can he just tell people now what those conditions are?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: We continue to work through changes at the border. Specific decisions around the potential reduction in MIQ requirement and a potential increase in isolation at home have not yet been taken. We are currently allowing isolation at home for up to 150 business travellers. That process is under way. We will gain valuable lessons from that about how to make sure that process is as smooth as possible and that we lower the risks of that approach as much as possible. But as I've indicated and as the Prime Minister has indicated I think we will see a greater proportion of people coming into the country isolating at home. One of the things that we do have to recognise though is at the moment there is a difference between Auckland and the rest of the country. It won't stay that way for ever but that is the situation at the moment.David Seymour: Can the Minister please just tell the House what has to happen so that people trapped overseas can isolate at home the way he just admitted 86 people with COVID are doing in Auckland right now?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Well I can give it a go but I'm not sure I'll manage the same degree of theatrics as the member. As I've indicated the Government is looking at expanding home isolation when it is safe to do so including considering shortened MIQ stays—and potentially a mixture of both of them. Vaccination will play a role. One of the things that we have already announced is a requirement for all those coming in to New Zealand who are not New Zealand citizens to be fully vaccinated from 1 November. That was important to signal that early because that will certainly be a requirement for home isolation for people coming into the country. We wanted to give people plenty of notice so that they can be ready for that. Things will be changing at the border as a result of the overall change in the risk profile that we're seeing across the country."