8. Question No. 8—Māori DevelopmentKIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour) to the Minister for Māori DevelopmentQuestion No. 8—Māori Development8. KIRITAPU ALLAN (Labour) to the Minister for Māori Development: What interventions have been implemented specifically for the Māori and Pacific COVID-19 response to address the re-emergence of community transmission? Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister for Māori Development): To date the response primarily led by the Minister for Whānau Ora and supported by Te Puni Kōkiri has enabled Whānau Ora commissioning agencies and other Government agencies to target their funding support to ensure the most vulnerable whānau in Tāmaki-makau-rau are able to have their needs met. Community-based assessment centre (CBAC) testing stations have been established across Tāmaki in several pop-up sites in areas that are more vulnerable to the profile of potential spread. Food hubs have been established in Māori and Pasifika communities and for the Pasifika community in particular there is an after-hours support service as well as extra support to those ainga in quarantine or self-isolation. We also have Māori wardens working with New Zealand Police at some of the Auckland regional checkpoints. Kiritapu Allan: Have the CBAC centres provided for improved access for whānau within Māori and Pasifika communities and how successful have testing rates been amongst these target groups? Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: Yes. Within hours of the announcement of COVID-19's re-emergence Auckland Whānau Ora commissioning agencies and their partners activated their resurgence plans setting up testing clinics alongside DHBs and other providers. Te Pou Matakana which is a Whānau Ora commissioning agency in Auckland is operating three pop-up testing stations across Tāmaki-makau-rau to support whānau to access testing facilities. In response to the congestion at Druces Road testing station Te Puea Marae stood up a pop-up testing station outside the marae on Monday 17 August—again to alleviate pressure across the city and provide access to testing. If we look at the testing taken between 12 to 18 August as at 5 p.m. roughly the percentage for Māori of total tests taken equated to 16.1 percent and for the Pasifika community 23.7 percent. Kiritapu Allan: Are DHBs working collaboratively with Māori and Pasifika community health providers to improve the local response and what has that involved? Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: Firstly I want to acknowledge the efforts of the incident management team in the Northern Region Health Coordination Centre who are working hard to ensure that the response for Māori and Pasifika communities across all Auckland DHBs is coordinated alongside other agencies to connect with whānau and ainga and to keep communities informed with consistent and accurate public health information. They are allocating resources across their networks to meet this demand on a number of fronts such as access to pop-up testing sites and also the provision of masks. We have testing sites for example in Tuakau Pukekohe Karaka and also in the broader Auckland area through a mobile clinic. Kiritapu Allan: Has the rate of community testing and contact tracing for Māori and Pasifika whānau supported the effective isolation of the Auckland cluster and what further steps are necessary? Hon NANAIA MAHUTA: The testing regime has enabled more tests to be taken across vulnerable communities nationwide and in this instance Māori and Pasifika communities. Nearly 30000 tests have been made in Māori and Pasifika communities in the past week. This has bolstered the investigation into the latest Auckland coronavirus cluster and has been instrumental in tracing contacts across the city. As stated by the Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield our people are not the problem; the virus is the problem—people are the solution. The Government is encouraging whānau and ainga to get the test if you're sick or in the targeted contact-tracing group keep a record of where you've been horoia ō ringaringa—wash your hands—wear a mask and remain vigilant.