COVID-19 update 21 September 2021

>> Today I will go over changes to the COVID-19 public health response act including increases in infringement fees for breaches of the Act. But first I will hand over to Dr Bloomfield.

>> Today there of 14 new community case is to report, all in the Auckland region.

One of these new cases is a case recorded in Whakatiwai, and is counted in the Auckland totals and that household has been managed by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service.

 That takes out total number of cases in this break to 1085 and of those pleasingly 700 and to have now recovered.

 In addition there is one new case in returnees in managed isolation.

After day's 14 new community cases only one is considered not linked at this point. -- 14. Most household contacts already in isolation and several others are known close contacts. Investigation into the connections after day's remaining cases are ongoing including interviews. Back to yesterday's five unlinked cases, four of those are closely geographically linked to existing households that have cases and there are strong leads. Just one is still under investigation. Obviously that lower number of 14 cases today is encouraging but we expect the numbers to bounce around a bit. Based on the number of very close contacts we already have in isolation, mostly household contacts, we would expect another 50 or 60 further cases just from that group over the coming week or two. I want to acknowledge everyone in that upper hotel key area for their fantastic response yesterday. Nearly 500 swabs were taken in Whakatiwai with more than 400 results back so far, all of those tests negative. Still encouraging anyone in that area to go and get tested if you haven't already. We have testing centres opening  today and there were 130 swabs and want to strongly encourage people to get vaccinated if you haven't already. There are two vaccination stations close to the testing centres at Echo Quest education foundation in Whakatiwai and pleasingly, we had 26 people vaccinated there by late morning. Another vaccination station is at a rugby football club. Today is a great opportunity to get vaccinated, take your whanau members aged 12 and over with you and remember vaccination is free and it is highly protective against becoming very unwell with COVID-19. Interviews have been undertaken with the vast majority of the students were close contacts at Mangatangi School and they continue with the remaining students. Thanks to that whole school community for turning out in force yesterday and being tested. There will be further wastewater testing in and around places and key locations in her rocky over coming days. Yesterday the Waikato public health unit had a workshop with agencies and local iwi to determine what the local community's needs might be and respond to those. There are well developed localisation support for the community within that area covered by the section 70 notice. Ministry for social development has worked with the iwi and supermarkets to ensure distribution of food to households in the area. Likewise, the menarche hub, funded by MSD, is providing food and other supportive whanau there as is Waikato (unknown term). So thank you very much to their organisations for their support. Just an update on the section 70 notice published yesterday, providing further noticed providing further notice, communities who will be able to cross the boundary to travel 30 minutes south-west if required for essential supplies such as groceries and animal welfare reasons. It is important that people understand what is and is not able to be done under the notice and so we put that information up on our website. It is very similar to the sort of restrictions in place on alert level IV. While people can travel to Pocono simply to get essential supplies they can travel if they need to get healthcare and that includes if required after Middlemore Hospital. I do know there was some people who travelled out of alert level II into that area yesterday, for example, media reporting, the media reporting purposes, healthcare workers, those involved in swabbing and police and other emergency services. If they have travelled back into alert level II they will not be required under that section 70 notice to isolate if they took appropriate precautions consistent with alert level for while there yesterday. -- four. On primary care I want to thank all our primary care providers in Auckland have done a magnificent job as well as... Including general practice are Maori and Pacific providers, urgent care clinics will stop it has been a mammoth effort with over 2000 swabs taken in primary care since 18 August and the biggest day was on 20 August with 19,000 swabs. Just to put that in context, a week earlier it had been an average of 1000 swabs a day. So my sincere thanks once again to our primary care colleagues there stop on the boundary exemptions, following yesterday's announcement that Auckland would move to alert level III from this evening there is still very tight restrictions on people being able to travel out of and into Auckland. Personal travel across an AR 32 boundary is still very highly restricted and it remains high as we still need to contain the remnants of the outbreak in Auckland. One area that we will be allowing one of journeys is for people to attend funerals or attend two or visit a dying relative or company a to Pa (unknown term) or deceased person. I know not being able to do these farewells has been one of the toughest and most distressing aspects of alert level. These travel and alert level III will require an exemption from the Ministry of health and have strict criteria, for example it will need to be a first-degree relative such as a parent, sibling, child or partner or very close family member. It is important to repeat it will be in limited numbers and require social distancing and face coverings. One requirement of people granted such exemptions as they will require a negative swab and test results within 72 hours of their travel. Again, part of our overall approach at the boundary to reduce the risk of the virus leaking out of the Auckland area. We will also be requiring evidence and support of applications such as support from a local funeral director, hospice and/or local funeral director. (Inaudible) an early announcement from Pfizer of the results of the COVID-19 trial in children aged 5 to 11 which shows a favourable immune response and safety profile in this age group. Whilst at this stage the information available is limited it... And the detail is still to come it is promising news. It is undertaken, this trial, around 2000 children, use lower doses, about 1/3 of the dose used in adults and given approximately three weeks apart. Importantly it showed a similar antibody response and a similar safety profile to the age group of 16 to 25. Obviously we will be looking very carefully at those starter -- data and when available and advisable submit the evidence  initially to regulators in the US and Europe in the near future and we will follow that process with interest and very closely and we will of course follow our usual rigourous regulatory and approval processes here once Pfizer submits the data and we will do that as quickly as possible when the time comes.  Over to you, promise to.

>> Thank you. As you would have heard from his report, it appears that all but one of our cases at this stage appear to be linked to our current outbreak and mainly house contact of existing cases but the best way to continue to flush out mystery cases and give ourselves comfort that they are not more widespread is to test, test, test. It is pleasing to see a lift in testing across Auckland with 8588 swabs taken yesterday which is a good result for a Monday. But it is critical that we keep up those testing rates. There 24 community testing centres available for testing across Auckland today. I want to highlight one of those specifically. We have a new pop-up testing centre at the Monaco sports bowl at one Boundary Road in Clover Park, a new suburb of interest, which you would have heard me talk about yesterday. We are encouraging everyone in the Clover Park neighbourhood to go down to the sports bowl (Inaudible) connected to 1 of the eight new suburbs of interest and have symptoms, even mild ones, please get tested and isolated isolated home until you get results. That is a call out to everyone in Clover Park. It is not a large geographic area but one where we have had enough cases within a tightly confined area that we want to take a really cautious approach so we are asking people who may not have symptoms to be tested from the Clover Park area and you can pop down to the Sports couple to have taken today. Others remaining suburbs we are interested in and alongside Clover Park you will remember Mount Eden, Massey, owner,  Papatoetoe we, and there we are still asking for people with symptoms or mild symptoms if we need to take a broader approach in those areas or if you are specifically asked to come forward for asymptomatic testing, please do so. The COVID-19 public health response act was created in April last year to help us  manage the virus and deliver our stamp it out strategy. It provides specific emergency powers that require people to comply with COVID-19 public health restrictions such as alert level IV rules, mask wearing, regional boundaries and also covers MIQ. Throughout our COVID work and our success has been really based on the fact that people by and large have been really compliant and that is meant on a number of occasions now we have been able to manage the virus successfully. However there has been the odd person breaking the rules and has put others at risk. Specifically we have had some people break out of MIQ with COVID who pose a threat to the community. Once we put fines in place to this group we saw the numbers attempting to escape did reduce and you will remember very early on we had some issues in this regard when we first established managed isolation. Each breach of the rules risk spreading covert, so this is an issue that we have been looking out for some time. You will recall when we first introduced our infringement fee they were set at 300 dollars and by that fine has been proposed by the course -- course, it has risen to 1000 dollars. It is View that this does not properly reflect the social and economic impacts of a simple case getting out into the community and/or do they act as a sufficient incentive to play by the rules. That is why the maximum infringement fee, the maximum infringement free, will move from 4000 dollars. It will go from 300 dollars to 12,000 dollars for companies. Where those are imposed by the courts, the final move from 1000 dollars to 12,000 dollars and for companies from 1000 dollars to 15,000 dollars. Those are maximums and the court will use their discretion to take into account circumstances in order to use those fees and regimes. This will take effect as surly as November this year subject to be passing of the bill. It has been in response to people and their view that we did not have an infringement regime that reflected the severity of breaches that we have often dealt with. A quick word now on Auckland's move to level 3 before we moved to questions. If you are a level 3 worker retained your workplace and you are not yet vaccinated I have a request for you today. Get your first dose this afternoon before you go back to work. There are a number of ways that you can. This will provide you with a crucial layer of protection at level 3, not just for you but your workmates and those who may visit you as part of your work. So far we have had 1,132,510 Aucklanders who have now had their first dose, which represents a 79% of the city's population. And I am hopeful that we will get to 80% very shortly. Everybody that is a risk poses a risk. My challenge Auckland is this. Let us keep going. Let's see if we can get you 90% by the time the cabinet considers our older level 3 settings in two weeks time. Now that is an ambitious challenge but it is doable. I have seen modelling which suggestively go hard and do this right we can reach that goal, but it will require a team effort. It means of getting the vaccine yourself is not enough. We need to encourage and help others to do the same whether it is answering questions or supporting them to find information or helping them in other ways a. If you're looking for somewhere to get a vaccine this afternoon there are walk-through and driving options. There are 20 GP clinics that went live in Auckland last week, so when I 100 There are 20 GP clinics that went live in Auckland last week, so when I 185 GP clinics and another 25 expected to start. There are 62 Auckland families -- pharmacies, and we are on boarding more. New Zealand posted our giving its staff, whanau and members of the public the opportunity to get vaccinated at a drive- through clinic at the its mail centre in hi Brooke. We have also seen great momentum in our specific vaccination efforts, so I thought I would highlight just a few of those Pacific vaccination efforts in our community. There is a pop-up event today at the Methodist Church. On Thursday there will be another pop-up at the Church of latter Day Sts at Margaret Day. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday there will be one of the town centre and on Friday there will be a Samoan pop-up to be held at the town centre led by doctors, Southpointe doctors and health staff for the specific trust. These are some specific initiatives that I wanted to high levels of alt- right to do more of that over future 1 PM updates. It is up to all of us to get out there and get vaccinated and keep those goals in our sites. We are open to questions.

>>We have seen an increase in the (inaudible), especially when people are escaping MIQ.

>>There is also bouncing there. We have boys got to make sure that people understand the rules. But also that they understand the consequences of breaking those rules. I think this year magnitude -- share magnitude of having someone with COVID-19 breaks those rules. The impact that that has on the community, we need to make sure that the fines really do reflect the gravity of the situation.

>>Who did the remand prisoner get COVID from and what (inaudible) Yi

>>We know who it is that they have been infected by hand on what date they had been infected. We are now working through exactly at what point and at what means the rules were broken. We are going to continue working through that with the health concerns being a major priority. We need to contact trace around those individuals and that is the most important thing for us to do at this point. We will follow through honourable breaking as we go.

>> (Inaudible).

>>We have linked them with genomic sequencing. We have linked them to a workplace I would broadly define it as.

>>Were other members of the gang resident and where any of the stops that they made permitted or legitimate?

>> I cannot give you the personal details of the individuals and the vehicle, but of course all of those covered by a public tracing health work is making sure that we are making sure that everybody is getting tested and traced. The second question was around those. The bail conditions required that the only necessary stops be made. I am not in a position to define each of those stops as necessary or unnecessary according to those rail conditions. That is for others. What I can say is it was over the course of the morning that they went directly to their place of bail and made an effort for the entitlement. -- For the entire time. They made some short stops.

>>When other going to see whatMATTHEW KEALEY:

>>I think regardless of whether or not the person was infected by those in the car or not it was clear that we need a set of titles that give the person who is ultimately COVID are free to remain a COVID free until they reach their final destination. I have asked the minister of justice and minister of corrections to work together to see if we can create some criteria to see that we can ensure that if somebody is leaving to a level 2 environment that either a person from a level 2 comes and collect that information for that individual or they can make a drop-off from corrections. That will reduce the risk. I will come to the side.

>> The numbers and the data from the last and a show that the majority of the cases are made up of (inaudible).

>>Overall 13.8% of our cases have been amongst Maori people. 61% have been  without Pacific community. We do want to make sure that where there are communities where there is additional vulnerability that there is a lesser likelihood to access services if there are any other health inequalities we need to make sure that we can do to track down COVID very quickly. That is where communitywide testing is so important right now. Did you want to add to that, Doctor Bloomfield?

>>I just wanted to thank the Maori Pacific providers more recently as well as generally as we have had that increase in Maori numbers. They have been doing fantastic to work with the relative households, communities and getting them tested.

>> Have they had enough resourcing to do the work that is ahead?

>>The provider that has gone and done an excellent job yesterday, hundreds of swabs were taken and there will be set up again today. I know the DHB and our team at the ministry will be providing any support they needed to support both vaccination and testing in those communities.

>>We also know that they are working alongside MST alongside free distribution plans and a lot of workers already done and underway there. Local trust has been running through distribution, so there are early signs for support for the community from a localised response. Our job is to make sure that we are coming in and supporting the local provision.

>> How long do you see the (inaudible)?

>>At the moment is through until Friday. That is to give us time to make sure that everyone that we thought needed to be tested can get tested. Given the great response yesterday and the rapid turnaround of the testing we will be reviewing that on a daily basis. We won't keep it in place for any longer than it needs to be.

>> On increasing fines for people that have been prosecuted, (inaudible).

>>Those decisions are not made by us. We set up the framework and the infringements that are available should have those prosecutions be taken. I think from the general public there would be a bit of a view that when you are putting people at risk you do need to have an infringement regime that reflects the seriousness of some of that rule breaking. That is what we are really seeking to do. Where they are used and how they are used and what fines are awarded, that is out of our hands.

>>Are you aware of the security of our hospital patients last week whatMATTHEW KEALEY:

>>Yes, I'm aware of that and we have reported that. There has been a process going underway at North Shore Hospital. There is a number of stuff that has been stood down in the meantime. That individual has been located and we are following up appropriately.

>> What risk does the exposure create for the staff?

>>I'm concerned if people are trying to deliberately avoid the security arrangements at a hospital and put in by the staff members and also very unwell people potentially at risk. I know that we are working with the BHP to see if there is anything else we need to do to support that sort of thing not happening again.

>> As a person been spoken to?

>> I think they understand the magnitude of what has happened here. We need to be constantly vigilant, so that is why we have measures in place to try to put in place those kinds of encounters. That is why we have such strict protocols and visitors, which I know was really hard for people that have a really legitimate reason for wanting to be in those environments, but it is all about keeping people safe. I will come back to the side.

>> There was another case of someone leaving or seemingly under the potential to do something that is not mandatory, but they're took a caravan. What you make of events like ischaemic does is put the south island at risk ?

>>There are two things I would say. People needed to be responsible and just remember that there is an entire city of people trying to do the right thing and those individuals need to as well. Then it there is more broadly the setting that we have in place for the rest of the country. I would broadly describe level 2 as are continuing to be on high alert. It is not just because they might be people who break the rules, it is also because there are people or maybe people who have legitimate reason for travel, like our recent freight driver who may test positive. It is a cautionary approach. Just because we do have such a large part of the population who currently are at a high alert level.

>> On the second phase could you be more specific about what sort of issues might play out? Are you dealing with immigration issues or the MIQ?

>> I see that as secondary. There are two things we want to cover off without further advice. There are two streams of work. The first is that as you would be aware we have people who have already had a legal status to be in New Zealand. They are citizens and Visa holders who were in Afghanistan at the time that we went and tried to bring those people home. Not all of them, and for some it may be because they were not even in the region, were able to make it on those flights. We need to consider what are the alternative options we have to support those individuals to get home. The second stream of work is around for those for whom there are ongoing humanitarian needs, they may have links to New Zealand or they may not. What will New Zealand's ongoing role be around humanitarian assistance, be it through supporting people to reside elsewhere or general community and humanitarianism services? Those are the two things.

>> Is it the case that there were people on those flights that were brought to New Zealand with some Visa requirements, they all going to remain in New Zealand on visas of all some go elsewhere?

>> For the most part they have sought to be in New Zealand and that is because they have connection here in some way. You would see a responsibility for New Zealand there. But what I have asked the team to do is to look at whether or not without breaching anyone's privacy we can go through a process of sharing a breakdown of those that have been able to return and those for whom we need to continue to assist.

>>Is it the case that some people might need to be evacuated from Afghanistan and what they deem to be beyond.

>> A large portion had family members and there were categories of having worked for New Zealand but not all could come out in the first tranche so most have a link here. Again I don't want to go into too much detail least I bridge too much privacy but we will look to give a bit of a sense where the bulk of those people sit in terms of their links to New Zealand or New Zealand's work in Afghanistan. I did say I would come across. You want to take (inaudible). Clare, you can substitute.

>> I wanted to ask about James Sihaw's trip and whether you were content with the size of the delegation. -- Shaw. It depends on whether or not they make it through the queue for MIQ. (Inaudible)

>> The first thing is we have had over 160,000 New Zealanders come back to our managed isolation facilities, one well over 160,000. We have had one minister in the time travel out of New Zealand to undertake work on behalf of New Zealand as part of our important trade negotiations with the EU. This will only be the second minister and delegation to travel since we instituted that managed isolation facility arrangement. I consider New Zealand's presence there to be important. Yes, we are facing a global pandemic that climate change is the most significant threat that we face for decades to come that needs a response from us now and important negotiations happen there that we need to have a seat at the table around. We have looked at the delegation and how we can maximise it with offshore representation, so New Zealanders either in post but there are technical experts. We will keep seeing how small we can make the team but I have told the Minister this is an important piece of work for New Zealand, so we will work to find a way to secure a small number of spaces so that New Zealand can be represented at the table.

>> (Inaudible) get access to emergency allocations (inaudible).

>> 5000 vouchers were distributed across people in the last release that we had just yesterday. Several thousand more will continue to be released over the course of the coming weeks and months. We have had one minister take up a spot so far. This is only our second. There is a balance to be struck here between making sure that New Zealanders can return home and I know many are seeking to do so. And to see family and friends and I appreciate how important that is for them, but we here  also need to enable a minister to represent New Zealand at these important negotiations.

>> Will get an emergency allocation?

>> I wouldn't describe it in that way at all. We have the ability to do small group booking allocations and we have done that for business groups where there is a serious economic imperative. I said as a small allocation, and as you would have seen, we have had 5000 people allocated yesterday.  I'm seeking a small number to enable New Zealand to be represented at these important negotiations and relative to that 5000 and in fact we've only had one other minister, I think New Zealanders will appreciate that. 

>> (Inaudible) who have not been able to come home to say goodbye to dying loved ones.

>> We have emergency allocations for that and I don't intend to the Minister to take anyone's emergency allocation in order for us to be represented at these important negotiations.

>> I hope that clarifies that for you.

>> James Sihaw said this morning (inaudible) to the general assembly (inaudible) is that the case? You have plans to head overseas?

>> That was not the case, so, no.

>> (Inaudible) the issue.

>> That is one point I would make. We have been very selective in the way we have used travel for ministers since this outbreak began. Obviously there have been a number of things where we have decided it has not been the right time or priority but there are very critical events we need to be around the negotiation table 4. Trade is one and also see the negotiations as part of that. We will look to give you updates but you will know that the UK and EU (inaudible) are worth millions of dollars for New Zealand.

>> (Inaudible) insights into the difference (inaudible) has finished (inaudible) if you are  able to? Share (Laughs) Just that, really.

>> What is the team and when you think you will be able (inaudible)?

>> The modelling we have previously used from Sean Hendy, so you will have seen have done their work all the way through and release some of that some time ago that demonstrated a really high level of vaccination rate required as a substitute for public health restrictions. They continue to do that work and I thought it would be helpful once there is a bit more detail sitting behind some of those models for the public to see what a difference  vaccination rates make, so that is really what I was speaking to and we will look for an opportunity to share that but they are still completing their work. I don't imagine it will be too far away but I don't want to put deadlines on someone else's modelling.

>> Over the next week or two the number of underling cases stances to rise again would you be willing to (inaudible) put Auckland or other regions back into level IV? -- start.

>> I see that is hypothetical.  That done an important job of giving us an education that we didn't have white undetected cases but with mystery cases we have other tools available to  us and you would have the X or its experts talk about it today testing, testing, testing. We have identified a geographic region of concern and we are asking everyone to be tested and is a tool we can use alongside ongoing, very tight public health restrictions and again, most important amongst those alongside testing and people staying home if they are sick, is people not mingling with others. That remains critical. The rest I really see as a hypothetical. Are all working hard to ensure it isn't a reality.

>> (Inaudible) hypotheticals but (inaudible) possible to imagine a world with the government might have to choose to keep Auckland or part of New Zealand in a level III star lockdown the many months until we hit the really high threshold of vaccination. It is something -- is that something you would entertain?

>> Regardless, vaccination is important, even in this outbreak and today in this outbreak, vaccination is important because we have seen the difference it has made in individuals vaccinated versus those who have not. And there would be those who would say that even as we continue to stamp it out vaccination will help us with that. So that for me is as much reason to highlight the need for vaccine as it is the role it will play going forward in our use of restrictions stop you have heard me say it is possible if people keep turning out for their first dose for us to get a 90% in a relatively short space of time but we can only do so much. We literally can take vaccines to people's neighbourhoods. We do need them to come out and that is where I need family, whanau, friends don't be dismissive of people who say they have concerns stop talk it out, provide information. That is what it will take that last people to get over the line. Anything you want to add?

>> Just to reiterate the importance of vaccination including in the modelling and really, the key thing about the modelling and looking forward to discussing it more widely is the higher the vaccination rate, the less restrictions one is to use and that is not talking about alert level III or four.

>> Day in, day out.

>> You might recall Professor Skaggs, David skeg talking a few weeks ago about his preference not for us to wear masks. It would nice be nice not to have wear masks in everyday life. That is what we are aiming for and high levels of vaccination is what makes that possible.

>> I will hand across from the back.

>> On vaccinations and vaccine buses (inaudible) many are up and running?

>> Six currently and understand it will move to 12 over time. They are in the Auckland region and being utilised specifically by Maori and Pacific providers who are using the data they have available to them to identify areas where we need to increase fax -- vaccine uptake.

>> (Inaudible) breaking the mask rules in Queenstown.

>> I don't know and I don't want to get into what people should or should not be doing from the podium. Each of us has to take personal responsibility and do our best to be the role models people expect of us all of the time but I will not get into picking out people's individual behaviours from this spot.

>> She broke the rules, was in a place where masks are required and did not have a mask on.

>> Again I would say the same thing. Each of us has to take responsibility particularly when in these positions to do our best role model at all times because people look to us to follow the rules and so it is incumbent on us to do our best at every waking hour of the day and no matter where we are in the country.

>> (Inaudible) one of the new $4000 fines.

>> That would not be for me to enforce all me to advise on.

>> (Inaudible) broken any of the COVID rules?

>> I could not specifically stated that from here although what I would say is I encourage all of our members to be really familiar with them and to be the very best role models they can at all times and I ask, only ask that of myself as well as the rest of the team. Benedict? Sorry, I said I would come to you.

>> How confident are you that (inaudible) and other virus in communities that are traditionally hard to reach like gang communities (inaudible) before? 

>> Two things I would say. The vast majority of time we have stamped out outbreaks it has been from level III and so I think it is important to remember that it is a really restricted environment and still does help us with that ongoing stamp it out approach. But we have an extra element and that we haven't had those previous occasions and that is vaccines so that is why we are asking people regardless of if they have been directly in contact or asked to do anything else, they can go and get vaccinated and so that is, they become a critical difference for this time that we are in level III. That was actually point the Dr Bloomfield made yesterday. I said I would come here.

>> Just on the prisoner going across the border, there have been about two dozen (inaudible) is there in expectation or do you know if  all of those carloads have been checked for the testing status when they cross the border? Is there in expectation?

>> Yes, you are correct and that would not be unexpected and the orders we have in place for crossings to allow for individuals to return to their place of residence. It is just the manner in which they get there that is important so you would have already heard me say that what I have passed ministers with is tightening up those requirements. -- task was to be no the prison is COVID three. We need to make sure that people are transport them take them directly back to a level II environment and pose no risk to anyone in level II in the course of that movement.

>> (Inaudible) tightened out to ensure people crossing the border (inaudible) testing results? Ship and ultimately what you would look for is either one or two things if someone is going back to a level II environment the prisoners would be (inaudible) and we can be assured they are as well. They need to become a directly pick the person up and return directly and in that case, that would be a set of circumstances we can consider low risk. If that cannot be done then we are seeking advice on whether Corrections can undertake drop- offs to try and reduce risk.

>> And information about (inaudible) from Auckland to Dunedin without an exemption? Any update?

>> I don't have an update.

>> I've learnt of that in the last few minutes before coming down here stop it is something we will look into.

>> Benedict and then I will finish in the front.

>> (Inaudible) the higher the penalties, will they be applied to everyone? You have that (inaudible) who don't seem to have been charged or anything. Do the rules apply to everyone?

>> We create the rules and then create the penalties that can apply and our job is to make sure that they reflect the seriousness of what we are dealing with here and I think the community would expect these penalties should sit at a higher rate than the $300 they had been. We have done that. Ultimately politicians do not place the charges or then prosecute those issues and so then it does come down to those who are responsible to ultimately decide who is... Who does face infringements or face charges.

>> (Inaudible) length of time it has taken (inaudible)?

>> It is not for me. We need to let others do their job.

>> (Inaudible) a little sneaky. I was going to come around here at the front. One concern might be if the charges... A lot of this information is getting into the more vulnerable community (inaudible) charge for attending an anti-lockdown protest and you have got people that are arguably reaching in a much more serious way by breaching their border who are not getting charge. Are you sure the fines will not

>>I am confident that people involved in these decisions will be evenhanded in the way that they deal with each case, that is why we have a system that allows people to make a decision based on the case they have in front of them. Our case and job is to make sure that we have an infringement regime to reflect the seriousness of what we are dealing with when people do openly and knowingly break the rules.

>> There seems to be (inaudible). Should we give consent for the vaccine, can you just clarify the advice on that?

>> I know there has been particular concern about this. The approach is similar to what it is for getting medical treatment of any kind. And that is that if the health professional judges that the person can make a decision for themselves for example a child under 16, then they can give consent under themselves. In doing and saying that, if the 12 or 15-year-old was turning up without their parent and not able to get consent then our preferred arrangement would be that the parent is there and consenting, then they are strongly encouraged to discuss it with the parent. That they are ultimately judged to be able to make that decision for themselves. They are able to consent themselves. However, the way that we set things up is to take a whanau based approach so that both parents and children aged 10 to 15 can come in stomach

>>Does that remain consistent across (inaudible)?

>>Yes, that is correct, because the vaccine has been given or supervised by registered health professionals and it has two in every instance go through a consent process. Of course we take particular care if it is somebody younger, and if it is somebody younger that is not with a parent, that is a very specific compensation. We had better get going now.