6. Question No. 6—COVID-19 ResponseCHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister for COVID-19 ResponseQuestion No. 6—COVID-19 Response6. CHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: When did he first receive advice on the new requirement for essential workers crossing the Auckland border to have had a test in the last seven days and is he satisfied with the planning done for an outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): Discussion on how to ensure that any internal borders are as safe as possible have been ongoing since the current outbreak began and that involved discussion around testing. I first received formal advice from the director-general regarding surveillance testing for essential workers crossing the proposed level 4-2 boundary on Saturday evening 4 September. Cabinet then agreed on Monday that essential workers would be required to be tested within the last seven days before crossing an alert level boundary into and out of an alert level 4 area. In regard to the second part of the member's question yes. This is the first occasion we've required a level 4 - level 2 boundary split and the work completed over the last five days has shown that the system remains robust and adaptable due to the changing nature of the virus. The Government has and continues to work closely with the sector on the implementation of this process. My ministerial colleagues have been in regular discussion with the heads of the sector. I'd like to acknowledge the efforts of everyone involved in this piece of work including the sector who have been particularly responsive in creating workable solutions to these challenges. Like all aspects of our response to COVID-19 we continue to look at our processes and we continue to adjust as necessary.Chris Bishop: Why was advice regarding requirements for essential workers crossing the Auckland border only received and considered by him on Saturday 4 September when the prospect of a Delta outbreak has been widely foreseen for some months in New Zealand?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Because the specific requirements around an internal border of course can only be formalised and shaped up once we know the nature of the internal border that is likely to be required whether it's a level 3-4 border a level 2-4 border and so on. Scenario planning for a variety of different scenarios around COVID-19 outbreaks has been happening over the last year and a half but it's very difficult to finalise advice for specific plans if you don't know what the specific situation you're dealing with is.Chris Bishop: In that scenario planning that has purportedly taken place over the last 18 months was a scenario considered in which Auckland would be at level 4 and other parts of the country would be at level 2 and there would need to be testing done for essential workers crossing that border and if that was done why was the preparatory work not done in relation to that testing so it could be rolled out quicker than three days before it was finally promulgated?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: A wide variety of different scenarios had been planned for including the potential for there to be a variety of different alert levels in different parts of the country. It is difficult to finalise any of that until you know the exact facts of the situation that you're dealing with and where the risk is what the risk is the nature of the risk and how best to contain it.Chris Bishop: How will essential workers prove they have had a test within the required time frame and what will be the turnaround between a test being taken and proof of a test being provided to workers?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Workers crossing the boundary will need to produce evidence of a test within the last seven days. The officials are working with employers about the easiest way to facilitate that. Ultimately it would be good to get as much as possible an automated system for that. In the meantime I suspect it is going to be a piece of paper that gets produced at a checkpoint. In terms of the turnaround time for tests we'll be working hard with employers to make sure that testing is widely available to all those who need it which may involve standing up additional testing sites certainly involves using a variety of different testing methods including saliva testing and nasopharyngeal and throat swabs.Chris Bishop: Why is saliva testing at the Auckland border for essential workers still a few weeks away and not ready to be rolled out when an existing provider is already in place for saliva testing in New Zealand?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The existing provider is currently focused or has currently been focused on rolling out saliva testing in our managed isolation and quarantine facilities and at the border. I've already indicated to the member and to the House before that I would've liked to have seen that completed well before now. I think the indications I had back in July were that it would be in place for all those on a seven-day testing cycle towards the beginning of August. Clearly that has not happened and I'm disappointed that that has not happened.SPEAKER: [Member stands to seek a call] No the questions for the Opposition have been used.