5. Question No. 5—COVID-19 ResponseCHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister for COVID-19 ResponseQuestion No. 5—COVID-19 ResponseSPEAKER: Before we move to question No. 5 I just want to note that the member asking the question has written to me in the same vein as he asked as shadow Leader of the House with regard to a select committee meeting that was held yesterday at which this particular topic was canvassed. I've had a look at the select committee the times involved and the ability for the Opposition to answer questions and have come to the conclusion that what occurred at that select committee yesterday was not in compliance with the spirit of the last Standing Orders report and assurances that have been given as to the ability to ask questions at the Health Committee on the COVID issue. At the time the Business Committee made a previous decision not to set up the Epidemic Response Committee once again. In light of that and given the fact that the average number of supplementaries available to members on a Thursday in the Opposition is four I am going to grant an extra four supplementary questions on this question today. So Mr Bishop has up to eight to use.5. CHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: How many people working in a managed isolation and quarantine facility who have been required to get a COVID-19 test under the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Required Testing) orders have not been compliant with these orders in getting a test since their inception and does he stand by his statement on non-compliance that it does not appear to be a large-scale problem"?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): In the past week 2755 staff working in managed isolation facilities and 241 workers in quarantine facilities were tested for COVID-19 compared to the around 4500 people who are required to be tested on a weekly or a fortnightly basis under the order. That testing data has been reporting a relatively consistent pattern since the order was put in place demonstrating that the vast majority of the workforce are being tested as required. It hasn't been possible in the preparation for questions to provide the data the member has requested back to when the order was first put in place in the form that the member has asked for it because that would require significant data-matching across a number of different records and reconciliation of those records. Responsibility for compliance with the testing order rests with individuals and with their employers.Chris Bishop: For clarity is he saying that it is not possible for the Government to say since mandatory testing began the number of people who have missed at least one of the fortnightly or weekly COVID-19 tests they're required to undertake?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I think one of the important points to note here is that people may or may not need to be tested in a given fortnight or a given week depending on when they worked. The records for that sit with the employer. The Government does not collect all of that information.Chris Bishop: Why does the Government not collect all the information that he's just referred to so that it would be possible for him to come to the House now in April 2021 and tell the House how many people in total since mandatory testing began have not been compliant with the law?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Because of the diversity of the workforce that we're talking about. For example if an electrician is called upon to do an urgent piece of work within a managed isolation facility the Government would not necessarily record all of that information.Chris Bishop: How can the diversity of the workforce possibly be an excuse when the Government knows—or at least should know—who is working in managed isolation and quarantine facilities on a fortnightly basis and knows or should know who is subject to the COVID-19 testing orders?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Up until recently each managed isolation facility managed a sign-in and sign-out system individual to that facility. Since earlier this year a "who's on site" digitised system has been rolled out across all of the managed isolation facilities. That has recorded who's on site at any given time. However it would appear that there have been some issues with whether people have all been using that. In the case of case B for example it would appear that the person had not always been signing in when they had been at work.Chris Bishop: Why has the Government not been checking through officials and Government departments to make sure that employers and their employees are getting the required tests that are legally obliged to do?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The managed isolation team have been checking with the employers to make sure that they have been keeping records of when their staff have been tested as they are required to do under the order and the feedback that they had from the employer of case B was that those records were in place that they were recording that case B had been tested. Case B has been it would appear supplying incorrect information to their employer about whether or not they had actually been being tested.Chris Bishop: What has been happening in the last two months in relation to the checking and auditing of employers at the border in relation to the Prime Minister's remarks from two months ago that the Ministry of Health does have the ability to get an insight into whether or not testing is indeed taking place and to troubleshoot it if it's not?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I think the member didn't listen to my first answer where I set out exactly what testing has been taking place and the data that we have been working with. We do not have ankle bracelets on every person that works in managed isolation to identify when they have been at work and therefore when they are required to be tested. We do check with employers to make sure that they are keeping records of that information. It would appear in this instance that there has not been accurate record-keeping. That is partly because the person has not been supplying correct information.Chris Bishop: Why following the release of the Simpson/Roche report last September and the February Auckland cluster with the LSG Sky Chefs worker has the Government only just now moved to mandate the use of a centralised register?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: We have been looking at the ways that we can improve the systems. One of them was to mandate the use of the register. The other is to extend the testing order to an extra workforce which we have also been doing. Inside all of that we've also been considering the frequency of the tests. So there's a variety of issues that have all been reflected and recorded in the latest order. The process of going through that does take some time.Chris Bishop: Why is a mandatory register at the border only being implemented now at the end of April 2021 when mandatory testing has been under way at the border since September last year?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Because the law is clear: employers are ones who are responsible for keeping records of their employees' testing. That is the legal requirement.Chris Bishop: How is it acceptable that a worker at the front line of our border response can go six months without being tested for COVID-19 and nobody notices or does anything to make sure they get a test?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: It isn't."