5. Question No. 5—HealthHon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 5—Health5. Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) to the Minister of Health: Does he agree with the Prime Minister If you even have a sniffle or the slightest sore throat get a test" and is that statement consistent with the case definition for COVID-19 published on 24 June?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): Noting that the Prime Minister made that comment more than two months ago when New Zealand was in alert level 4 yes. The Government's position has not changed. If anyone has symptoms of COVID-19 including a sniffle or sore throat they should seek advice about a test from Healthline or their general practice. Yesterday 4530 COVID-19 tests were completed taking our total number of tests to 402000.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Would it surprise him to learn that a primary care facility in Auckland reported that of 40 people presenting to the Botany community-based assessment centre with COVID symptoms last Friday only three were tested and 37 others were turned away?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: If the member has evidence of that I would like him to front up on it—if I can make that comment. The communication has been very clear to primary care. COVID-19 tests are free. They will be reimbursed by the Government and I'd note that since the case definition changed—the first day afterwards we had 9825 tests the second-highest ever day of testing. We have a high degree of confidence there's no community transmission because we have a really high level of testing in New Zealand.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Given that answer why were the COVID testing criteria changed last week?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The higher index of suspicion in the test relates not just to testing but to the requirement to self-isolate while awaiting test results. People who have symptoms but are not considered to meet the higher index of suspicion can still be tested but won't automatically be required to self-isolate. I'd say to the member again because we have the high level of testing we do we have real confidence there's no evidence of community transmission so there's not the same need to self-isolate.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Is he saying therefore that the only change to the criteria last week was not who gets a test but what they have to do after they get that test?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The Government has been incredibly clear: anyone who needs a test should get a test. I'm not going to second-guess clinical decisions made by individual doctors or nurses if that's what the member is suggesting.Hon Michael Woodhouse: Well if he believes that the new criteria are so clear why does he think that the chair of General Practice New Zealand picked up the phone to Dr Ashley Bloomfield to ask for clarification on what GPs should do?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I probably read the same article as that member and I would note in that article that the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners medical director Bryan Betty has written to GPs to ensure the message is understood. We have a very high level of community testing. Last week I announced that this Government has put an additional $89 million aside for testing. This Government has not put in place any barriers to people getting tested if they have symptoms."