COVID-19 update 20 September 2021 4pm

>> Firstly, I want to apologise for the slight delay in as join you for this afternoon's briefing. I will be frank my computer froze something that happens to all of us at the best of times.

As you would have seen, early today, there are 22 new community case is to report, three of which are in Whakatiwai and the remainder in Auckland.

A brief recap you may not have familiarised themselves with the Ministry of Health update here of the cases reported today, the majority are household all known contacts. Five are unlinked. Three of these are within one family and we already have a tentative link for this family. Interviews are underway and will give you a further update tomorrow but as you will have seen in the past, we often link these cases in time.

A few more details on the Whakatiwai situation. We have tested in and around this case and continue to do so. Of that testing, which has included so far house contact, corrections staff, court staff and police staff, we still have only three positives report this morning. We are continuing with widespread testing in the community where these cases reside.

Testing sites have been set up today to assist with that and over 300 swabs have already been taken in what is a relatively small community.

At the same time, we want to make sure we are keeping the community safe while we identify contacts and so on.

For more details on the steps we are taking in that regard, I will hand over to Dr Bloomfield. 

>> Thank you.

 In addition to the testing and contact tracing in isolation already in place, I will put in place a section 70 notice which will place some requirements on people who live in an area north of Highway two and send it on my guitar and the that will effectively extend the road boundary to the east and to the south-east of Miranda on the Firth of Thames and so people who live north of those roads are required to do the following things what I would do in this section 70 notice is asked people who work there or live there all who have visited households there since 8 September to remain at home. And to monitor for symptoms. Some of those people will already be involved in the testing happening of the school community from the school or the town where these people stayed. I'm asking those people again who live in that region or who work there all who have indeed visited it since 8 September to stay at home and monitored for symptoms.

 The only reason you should go out as effectively to get food or other essential supplies or to seek healthcare.

That is proposed to be the next five days, no later than Friday, but as we get testing done, some of you may be asked to get tested as we find locations of interest so one thing I would like people to do who are in that region is monitor the ministry's website for any emergent locations of interest and if you have been at one of those to follow instructions.

Testing will be available in that area and we will publicise where the testing can be got. We will put that section 70 notice up a bit later today which will include a map of the region that is involved. 

>> Thank you, Dr Bloomfield.

My understanding is the police will mirror that and the placement of boundaries in those areas. Essentially the approach we have taken here is a level IV drop-down -- lockdown requirement for an extended area where these cases reside and where that community congregate around including the areas where the school predominantly services.

The reason we have used both a boundary approach and a section 70 that means we can cover those who might not live in that boundary but to come into work in that area so we cover both our bases by operating in this way. It gives us that extra layer of comfort for both the community and those service towns around that community that we are creating a level IV environment for those most likely to be affected, for a period of time, allowing extensive contact tracing and extensive testing across that community.

For now, I want to thank everyone locally to date who has been involved moving quickly on this, your help has been greatly appreciated.

We have been throwing curve balls before in outbreaks and this is one where strong local approach will make all of the difference, so again, my huge thanks to everyone the region who has been supporting the response which includes our public health team and the Waikato and the Auckland area. I will come back to our status more generally.

We are now one month and four days in from when we learned of the first case in this outbreak. We now know Delta has been present in the community for a week to 10 days prior to that first case and multiple chains of transmission were already established. With Delta we knew we couldn't take chances and the immediate move to level IV initially to understand the breadth of the outbreak and then to get it under control was the right move and has worked. Models tell us had we waited one more week to act we would sit at around 5000 cases by now. So to everyone, but especially Auckland, thank you for acting quickly and for persevering. We know that they will for has been tough but we also know it has made a difference.

Since the outbreak began we have identified 39,600 it has made a difference. Since the outbreak began we have identified 39,637 contacts, carried out on the 670,000 tests, administered 1.43 million first doses of the vaccine and provided a further 660,000 people with a second dose.

Almost all cases in the last 14 days have been household all known contacts of existing cases. We are confident as has been to -- convey to us by the local public health team there is no significant undetected transmission but Delta does have a long, hard tail to it and the question we discussed as a cabinet was what is the best -- the best alert level we can use now to continue stamping out cases? In considering this, we look at the details behind recent cases and here are some observations.

For the most part, we have not had widespread issues with workplaces. Where we have had cases at work sites, these have generally been close contacts of existing clusters who have then gone on to infect work colleagues before they were known... A known contact. Workplaces for the most part have strict protocols in place and have moved quickly when cases were identified within their worksite.

This approach remains important going forward.

Another important observation is of the cases where we have established a link, none have resulted from people accessing essential services. This tells us infection prevention controls like masks, distancing and limited travel have all been incredibly important and must continue to be used and what everyone will have observed is the final point that where we have had cases, they have been dominated by close contact, mainly household contacts, and in some cases, secondary households with other family members.

 That is why the next stage of our plan must continue to be to keep bubbles tight. This is key. And all of these features are part of level III.

 These observations taken together have helped inform the device of the director-general and cabinet's decision today. That advice stated that level IV has done what we needed it to do helped us contain the outbreak and now, as we continue our zero tolerance approach to cases, level III still provides the really important and strict rules that help us keep up that important work.

Therefore, we have accepted the director-general of health's advice and confirm that Auckland will move to level III at 11:59 PM tomorrow night, Tuesday, 21 September.

The director-general has also clear that given a long hard tail of Delta we will need time and cabinet has accepted his advice for Auckland to stay at level III at least two weeks with cabinet first reviewing those settings on Monday, 4 October.

As for the rest of New Zealand, as outlined on Thursday last week, for so long as Auckland is at the higher alert levels of three or four, a greater level of preparedness is needed elsewhere in other words, level II. You will have heard me signal last week that Auckland... With Auckland's move there is (inaudible) one more minor change for the rest of the country, around the number of people who can gather at level II including in hospitality venues from 50 to 100 and cabinet has confirmed that decision today.

In terms of what Level 3 means for Auckland, I can sum it up with one word caution.

You will have heard me say that when analysing where transmission has occurred, there are strong themes and reasons certain rules remain in place. They stop transmission at level IV and are still in place at level III.

 First, your bubbles remain. You are not allowed to visit friends or neighbours at level III. You should not join the food (inaudible) tour closely across the fence or have children play together.

 I know this is strict and it is hard but it is there for a reason. You are allowed to make very minor and small extensions to your bubble to bring in a person who may be isolated and vulnerable such as an elderly relative. If you have care needs for children or vulnerable you may bring in another family member or carer to help.

 In a household, everyone is at risk of getting Delta. If you break your bubble, the consequence may be spreading COVID back to your house, family and loved ones.

Let's take this seriously. -- please.

 More businesses can open at level III but only in accordance with strict rules and asked businesses that reopen to play their part in reopening safely. Put in place all of the necessary health and safety rules. Make sure you look out for your staff, and if any of you workers show symptoms, please get them to get a test. Please make time for a staff member not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated. Make time for them to do this this week.

The best way to keep moving down alert levels and for businesses to stay open is for sick people to stay home and for everyone to be vaccinated. For everyone else, keep working from home it possible and keep children and young people at home with you where you can.

Member, schools are broadly speaking closed, they should only be going to school if parents must go to work and there is no other option available. You will recall this is the same setting we have always have a level III. -- Level 3.

 In the rack instances where they are at school, we agreed today to make face coverings mandatory for all indoor settings such as classrooms and assemblies. This is an added precaution.

 Again, this is for level 3 high schools. It will be rare that there is attendance at their schools, but where they are we do have a mask requirement for them.

Events and gatherings still cannot happen without the exception of 10 people being able to gather for a wedding or funeral. That is an extra ordinary circumstances. And a reminder that because Adele has changed the rulebook we have had to change how we manage it. Let us have a low overview of those changes again.

All staff and customers are legally required to wear a mask for outwardly facing businesses. When you pick up something in a contactless way, everyone should be wearing a mask. In fact everyone is strongly encouraged to wear a mask in any indoor setting with people outside your bubble. The latest science tells us that delta spreads easily through the air, so mask does make a real difference. I would encourage all businesses to familiarise yourselves with your Level 3 requirements.

Meanwhile business owners can now operate and access the premises for contactless opening, including to meet the public health requirements.

 I now have a particular message for those listening who are over 65 and especially in Auckland. For you, level 3 poses a slightly higher level of risk, that is why I'm stabbing at my level 3 advice for anyone over 65. If you have not yet been vaccinated, please a stay-at-home until you have been. This will give you an extra layer of protection in this outbreak.

We have been doing direct outreach to all our over 65's who have not had their first dose yet in Auckland. That amounts to about 23,000 people. The vast majority of over 65 people have been vaccinated. But for the smaller group we really do want to encourage you to take that next step. Must we get a letter was sent to those over 65 that we have details for.

Today we are committing an outbound call campaign. Helfland have started calls this afternoon to support our older New Zealanders to be vaccinated. These will average about 8000 calls per day. If you get a, please take the opportunity to ask any questions or raise any can turns. We have people on the end of the line who can answer them for you and help with the booking and support you to be vaccinated. If you have a booking that is a way off in the future please bring that forward. There are plenty of spaces right now. We have only asked our oldest people specifically to stay at home once before. It was when we didn't have to protect you, it was right at the beginning of the lockdown.

We now do have a tool, and I ask that you please use it. If staying at her make you feel anxious or stress, please reach out. Many pharmacies are doing medication delivery and the student volunteer army for delivery for groceries is working. You we can be contacted for general advice support. The number is zero one 800 zero one 865 to 105. If you need someone to talk to, this can be anybody, please use one seven three seven.

Finally a quick reminder on the books and then we will open to question. These are hi- fi redesign. Most people are not permitted to travel. If you do need to travel, you need to have evidence of a test in the last seven days.

 Again this is travel over the boundary. The rules are different to people permitted to travel for personal reasons. We must now carry evidence of a negative test result within 72 hours before you travel. There is an exemption process for emergencies and this is work that we have signalled for some time.

My final word. We are not stepping out of level 4 because the job is done but my wee movie because we do not think we can achieve the goals of stamping out COVID-19. We are moving because level 3 still provides a cautious approach while we continue to stamp out acro virus. It meant staying in your bubble, contactless transactions and keeping a distance. It means that we can say thank you to Auckland for your tireless work and we collectively keep going.

Happy to take questions.

>> If you are comfortable with this number of cases and we are still restricted enough under level 3, why not go to level  level 3 already?

>>It gave us the extra time to assess whether indeed we had that containment we believe we do. The public health team has given us their view that yes, it continues to be the case that we do not have widespread transmission or uncontrolled transmission in Auckland. That was why we made an in principle decision last week and why we have followed through with that today.

>> With the new cases, we had 21 today or 22. Is this really working?

>> Level 4 has done the job we needed it to do. Right at the beginning when we had only that one case, getting a sense of the degree of the transmission that we had and then establishing as much as possible a ring around it and ensuring that we did not have widespread undetected transmission, level 4 has done that. Now we need to keep going. Level 3 is not a situation where we are broadly opening up. We stay in our bubbles, distances, schools remain broadly speaking closed and we keep doing the job of stamping out COVID.

>>On your closing comments, particularly that you can still eliminate COVID adadelta.

>> I think it is important to think that we have moved to level 3 for every other outbreak that we have had to date other than the first one. The reason we went to level 4 first is that we saw in other states in Australia how quickly delta moves. We move quickly to establish how widespread it was, get that brought containment and now we need to keep going. I really highlight again that level 3 is a continuation of stamping it out, not a cutting loose of those restrictions.

>>With those restrictions are you concerned that the outbreak is going to potentially blowout? And can you also commit do not going back to level 4?

>>You will have seen from the observations of where we have had transmission to data that ultimately all of the protections that level 3 provide will continue to be a point for us and important for us as level 4. They are all still there. We do not want people intermingling with others. We want those protocols of infection prevention, like masks, distancing, or to all remain in place when level 3 does that. We restore some contacts. You cannot go to school or an eatery. It is all contactless deliveries. That remains critical and we ask everyone to play their part because that will continue to help us with case management. 

>>And a guarantee that we cannot go to level 4?

>>We are moving now because we do not have widespread transmission across Auckland. If everyone continues to play their part, we can continue to stamp it out. Doctor Bloomfield, you might like to give your comments on your advice.

>>To comment on that. First of all, good evidence from a range of sources that we do not have widespread undetected transmission in Auckland. We have done some testing and modelling that is very confident that there is not undetected transmission happening. We are still getting cases coming up and they often unlink initially but we are then able to link them back to the specific cases. Also they are centred geographically to the south Auckland area. When we gave the advice to remain at level IV recently we felt that we had some rough effigies -- rough edges. We do not think they are totally smooth yet, but we're getting there. The second comment I would make is to reiterate what the Prime Minister said. Elimination is about stabbing it out. It is about zero tolerance for the virus in our communities. That at what level 3 is about. The difference as far as that is at there are increasing lack rates of vaccination that gives us a better chance to get those vaccination rates even higher. 

>>The vaccination rate element is important. We have not had a tool behind us supporting our level restrictions before. We do now. We just need as many people as possible to take up the vaccination opportunity and in particular our most at risk New Zealanders. It is a crude way to identify those individuals, but we do know the risk is higher for our older New Zealanders, which is why I have singled out our over 65 population in this announcement today. Is more number has not yet been vaccinated sound we asking them to please be vaccinated and until that vaccine time keep yourself safe.

>> At that time we asked older New Zealanders to get themselves particularly safe and if possible to use others to access essential services like food and pharmaceuticals but to continue their health appointments. Hear what I'm asking again is until they have sought and received vaccination to take up similar... A similar approach, to utilise those around them who can support them with access to food and medication but in person they should still attend the health appointments and be vaccinated. 

>> Dr Bloomfield...

>> (Inaudible) level IV? 

>> In level for everyone is staying at home except going out for groceries. In level III we will have more movement and so with that, we are asking over 65 is who haven't been vaccinated to be particularly cautious. -- those over 65. The best way to move in a level III situation is to move safely. Please get vaccinated. 

>> Dr Bloomfield, epidemiology status (inaudible) primary school children and wearing masks and could you (inaudible) and would you make it mandatory for younger schoolchildren? 

>> At the moment our advice is to encourage it in primary school children and for alert level III in Auckland, where there will be a small number of students going to school, to require it for secondary school students. 

>> (Inaudible) what we have seen with children in the level II at wire environment at (inaudible) school (inaudible) younger children? 

>> (Inaudible)

>> Dr Bloomfield said under level III there is a zero tolerance approach. Are you saying that Orton cannot move on to level II until there is zero cases in Auckland or long period of zero cases? 

>> The whole point of the zero tolerance approach is not that you will have zero cases but rather you would take an approach that wherever those cases arise, you are aggressively contact tracing and seeking to stamp them out and that has been our approach all the way through and continue to be the approach we are taking at level III. 

>> What does that mean? 

>> There is no change. We have always said zero tolerance does not mean zero cases, it means stepping out cases where they are found. You will also see in the level II framework is what we are looking for is greater containment, always a description down the side of the level II framework. We would want a level of comfort that we had those cases well under control in the level II environment so that is why we have said we do not believe we will be there anywhere within two weeks. We are giving the certainty of Auckland that it will be at least two weeks. 

>> Can you explain that level of capital -- comfort because people watching will want some certainty? Does that mean (inaudible)?  

>> A large number, households and close contacts, one reality we face some households affected by COVID-19 have been families larger, large families and that has been devastating to see but it is also again why just taking a raw number approach does not tell you the full picture and I've said that repeatedly at this podium so you know that well. 

>> (Inaudible) level II if there is COVID still in the community? 

>> We would want to be of the view where we are in a situation where we are well contained. We continue to see mystery cases cropping up through community testing rather than getting out in front of those. We want a turnaround in some of those situations because that gives you cause to consider that even while we have retrospectively been able to link, that poses some risk that individuals have been infectious in the community. 

>> (Inaudible) lockdown? 

>> That has been our goal all the way through and every single eligible New Zealander takes the effort to be vaccinated, that is the best thing to do to ensure it will be. 

>> If vaccination rates are high, Aucklanders and New Zealanders (inaudible)? 

>> High vaccination rates will be a game changer for New Zealand but the key is high. You will have seen a lot of discussion overseas, at the level of restriction still in place and the level of hospitalisations where we have lower numbers, you would have heard Dr Bloomfield say he is aiming for 90+ of eligible New Zealanders, so that is the range in which we want to see people aspiring to, the kind of range that means we have fewer restrictions. We will take the opportunity of the course of the week to delve into a little bit more detail as to what that modelling is showing us about what vaccination rates mean for restrictions in the future and that will give everyone a bit of insight into the information we are receiving so we will to do that over the course of the week. 

>> Just on the prisoner, when he was released on bail in certain terms, how did you get down there? Did he basically goes straight there or are we not confident? 

>> The first thing I would say is we have knowledge of every stop and movement because this was someone who was on bail was being monitored, so that is the first thing and that is useful information for us as we contact trace. One of the bail conditions was essentially they needed to be transported by a specified person to their residence for their bail to be carried out, the period they were on bail and they more or less needed to take a direct route to that environment. What we are trying to ascertain is if that person who was directed to take them there followed through all the way and taking them (inaudible). Once they write on the same day, they stayed for the duration of their bow. -- (inaudible). 

>> More or less direct? 

>> Yes and also if the person linked to the cluster was involved in transporting that prisoner. That is the part that we are working on the detail around, so just to be clear, someone is able once they are bailed or released from prison to go back to their home residents. Good reason. We treat them like MiQ, have been an environment where not exposed to COVID and Mt Eden will have a number of people outside that region and the need to get back to their place of residence. Bail conditions set basically say you have to go back to that address. What we are working through is it that person to pull their conditions in the time it took for them to get there that same day and fulfil the conditions by the way that they were transported there was a there was a small number of people that took them to their place of residence and so that is what we are working through. 

>> (Inaudible) ministry of police, corrections (inaudible)? 

>> We have a reasonable picture of what has occurred. 

>> One thing that is material is during that journey that predated this person's infectious period. 

>> Yes, so not infectious at the time of their trip back to their bail address. 

>> Does that tell us the prisoner perhaps got himself (inaudible) infected from others not living in this house? Have you established that, Dr Bloomfield? Was it the prisoner who infected household members? 

>> Yes. She yes, we are still waiting for the whole genome sequence of the people involved but it seems likely that the person who was on remand was infected by someone who had been in Auckland probably one of the people who transported himself. And then as a result, as he was required to, remaining at home, with the other members of the whanau he has infected, other members of that found no. -- whanau. 

>> (Inaudible) discharged himself from hospital? 

>> Not at this point. 

>> No but we believe from genome sequencing we have a reasonable understanding. We are trying to places individual on the timeline. It was within the bail conditions of the person to support their bail address, someone needed to drop them off, so what we are working through is which individual or individuals, was the infected person and what point they joined the journey and whether that was outside bail conditions. 

>> (Inaudible) level II environment in asking questions? 

>> There were two conditions one was inside and one was outside the boundary. The important point being it would not have been against the rules to someone being bailed to an address outside level for (inaudible) coming and going for that individual. 

>> (Inaudible) negative test before? 

>> They had been in prison for well over 14 days and there was no COVID in the remand prison. This person has become infected with COVID from someone involved in their journey to their bail address.  

>> (Inaudible) transport (inaudible) level IV boundary? 

>> If involved with transporting a prisoner, not necessarily and this is the detail we are working through. 

>> Corrections, not just transport? 

>> I would need to ask that of Corrections. It is not necessarily the case that every prisoner once they are bailed (inaudible) is dropped off by Direction. Their requirements, it is set out in bail requirements, how they are meant to behave and the rules where they were meant to be directly dropped off so we are working through some of that as well. 

>> Keep in mind the primary  consideration for us is contact tracing. We need to make sure who was a contact when and who was at risk it having COVID when. Secondary, want to see if rules were broken and if we can tighten up procedures and we are doing that. 

>> (Inaudible) taking so long? 

>> I will get a little order back into the line of questioning. Then and then (inaudible)

>> Mr, you say it is content. Why are we still getting these mystery cases linked after the fact? Surely if the contact tracing is doing its job, they should not be so there should not be surprises. 

>> We are still seeing cases emerge where someone may not have identified contact with someone but which we are able to link them so we know basically we have already identified for a large part where the cases exist and then are able to connect those individuals to those cases. 

>> Can you be confident is contained when there contact you do not know about? -- how. 

>> There is ongoing work to stamp it out which is why we are at level III. Might see another decision if we were further ahead than that. 

>> To Mr Bloomfield, what is the (inaudible) level at the moment? Is it the 0.4% referred to? 

>> 0.4? Stillwell under one and we can see that again, just to point out the vast majority of cases each day, known households or other contacts, and for example, 10 cases in today's number were ready and MiQ facility. They were tested because they were symptomatically or it was a day 12 test. 

>> I had been. 

>> What other links in terms of where you expect cases to go now over the next fortnight? Show found that would be a question -- 

>> $$CAPITALISE, a question for Dr Bloomfield. 

>> Rumbling along a bit but we are expecting it to decline. One thing we will do is give an estimate and I did it at one point last week of the sort of expected number of cases that may still come through based on the size of the household, where we are getting new cases, and the conversion rate we see, so the number of cases we would expect and that will change each day but we will give a range of cases we are expecting still to come through from our known contacts particularly known household contacts. 

>> Sorry, forgive me, then. 

>> The level III lockdown is a lot done as you say. (Inaudible) seven weeks of lockdown (inaudible) more support from central government, whether it is handouts or for mental health support. (Inaudible)

>> A good reminder for me to mention of course a lot of mental health support provided at this level is often remote but a reminder of 1737 use line. -- Jung. We have support for businesses and often through Chambers, so anyone needing support, either practical, financial support, as a business, or just support to get through, please reach out to those services. You will have already seen we  made a move that is a big step change from our original lockdowns around the way we are using the resurgence payment. But in the past tended to be a one of payment. We have now put it on a regular cycle, every three weeks the resurgence payment which can be used for fixed costs, like, for instance, lease arrangements or rentals, is able to be drawn down every three weeks. And of course the wage subsidies available for people in those levels. That allows some businesses that might be outside of business but are affected by Auckland, so events or tourism businesses, are able to access that support if they can meet that criteria. We do, however, constantly keep under review the needs of those particularly affected by these restrictions and that is something that Minister of Finance is constantly assessing where the support so heading. 

>> What would you say to businesses majorly impacted on the south island by the level 2 restrictions even though they have not had a case there for so long?

>>You would know that the reason that we keep the precaution going is that despite our best efforts to put up a boundary and have testing at that boundary, we do sometimes have people who are using legitimate means to travel for what are essentially rule breaking purposes of. That is why we are being very cautious throughout the rest of the country. So long as we have cases in Auckland at a level 3, we will keep that happening. For those businesses we have made a move on the 50 limits to 100. It is a reflection of our view that we do have a better state of affairs than Auckland. We have made that move from 50 to 100. I do think that will make a difference. Other businesses that are directly affected can access the wage subsidy.

>>So if it were not affected on the south island, it would not (inaudible).

>>We just generally have to accept that we are not a country where you can easily build a wall around one part of our country. We are a very mobile nation. We have done everything we can to restrict the movement, but you will have seen that case we have a somebody with a truck driver, a legitimate purpose, where they were infected with COVID. Buy them working in a country which has level 2 restrictions, it gives it the extra layer of protection to all of our communities when we need it most. I will just keep going back through. 

>>To have a sense of when this (inaudible) and how many other cases might come down the stream ?

>>We have set the date of interest as September 8. 

>>Yes, that is the date which he travelled there. However, the onset was the eleventh. And so two days prior to that. We have set it from the eighth because that is when the person or one of the people who transported them all the person I transported them may have been infectious in the community. So we have done that as an extra precaution.

>>Thank you. Do you have any modelling about how many cases there might be downstream, about 10 days after that area?

>>So far we have got the testing to date which we have got a number of people that have been across the corrections, courts, police, and they use PPE. That makes a difference. In the household we have had three back. The majority have been tested.

>> There are nine people in the household. One has just been tested today. Three others have returned positive tests, but the others have returned negatives.

>>Yes, so that is what it is.

>> Often we see (inaudible) chance of transmission, how confident are you that we have controlled that chain of transition so that it doesn't move back up? 

>>A good opportunity for me to highlight again at vaccination is one of our key messages, and the other is testing. You will remember the seven suburbs that we identify where we want to see testing continue. Those that remain outside of interest. We have added an additional suburb of interest, but it is essentially for many of those that are local, they will know that it overlaps with a number of those existing suburbs. It is identified as Clover Park. It does overlap with most of those that we already have that on the list, but we wanted to be explicit that Clover Park is another suburb where we want those testing rates up. What we will do over the course of this week and next is come down and just report on the number of test we have come through those communities and initiatives will be undertaken to keep those numbers up. We believe that will help us to get in front of some of those cases that we are linking retrospectively. We are tending to see them coming through that specific suburb area that will help us to get an earlier signal and an earlier surveillance in some of those areas.

>>In terms of getting back to zero cases a day, (inaudible) Yi

>>We are at level 3 because we have done at level 4. Our belief is still that there is an absolutely legitimate tool in our strategy. That is why we will be there for that level of time to continue to do that.

>>How many people transported the prisoner back to their pale address? Its intake there are multiple people involved.

>> That is one of the questions that we are working through with corrections. There was a specified person he was meant to take them back to their bail address. We are working through what their bail conditions were, meaning that there must be an exclusive arrangement or not. That is one of the issues that we are working through. Keep in mind again that somebody is able to be transported, but those involved in transporting them needed to be back in the level 4 environment.

>>How long exactly is it going to be if cases pop up in the community? Early look at a different response, whether that will be longer?

>>It will be five days initially to make sure that we can get the testing underway and get rigorous contact tracing and then we can revisit.

>>It essentially five days. It could be shorter. It is five days or until the Minister for Health says that people can be released. There is a good amount of time. We can adjust that as well. As the section 70 notices, we can adjust it if there is more information.

>>Quickly on a new topic, the counter terror legislation is up for renewal tomorrow. Critics have said there is no need to rush it  through in the time to work through. What is your response?

>>My response is that we have taken our time. This policy was first proposed to us by officials in 2018, and we ask for it to be undertaken. It has then subsequently gone through a full cabinet process and has been introduced into Parliament and has been referred to the committee. We have received submissions from the committee and have reported back to the committee. I'm happy to indicate here that they will not be any surprises on what is reported back to Parliament. We had consensus recommendations from the committee about changes that should be made as a result of submissions that have been heard as a cabinet. We have not moved beyond the scope of the original bill. That went to the public and then originally it went to the committee.

>>And I just ask your response to the pandemic group earlier today that they said that they were worried about anything less and level 4 and there was saying that they were worried that there could be quite a big outbreak otherwise.

>>The first thing I would say is that you have seen that we have created an arrangement that essentially for this newly affected community it does put them into a level 4 environment. But we have added a section 70 so that we can actually cover off those who might work in the area but live outside or may have had contact with anyone in that area. So we have tried to grab it rorter then we would otherwise have a simple boundary change. We have taken a very specific approach that I think we have Matthew needs of what people have been calling for -- have met the needs of what people have been calling for. Brought the old highlight that every other outbreak we have had to date by a first one has been managed and stamped out at level 3. No one should be under any illusion at level 3 is an unrestricted environment. It is very tightly controlled. Everyone has a role to play in continuing to ensure that those most important part of level 3 are upheld, that includes not mixing and mingling with others. Who have not had? Jo?

>>In terms of the bespoke arrangements, what can the country do from here in terms of filling orders? It might be an original or much smaller capacity.

>>That is something that some countries have used in a post vaccine environ. They have an outbreak and lower vaccination rates and it is actually the way I would describe our public health issue dealing with issues like easels. What we may not have registered is that in the past before COBIT arrived our public health issues have the ability to close down and manage it. Likewise for other areas of work if they see outbreaks of other infectious diseases they have the ability to take those local approaches. Those are the kinds of things that we want to have available to managing outbreaks in vaccinated environment as well. 

>> Could you talk us through what sort of compliance Erreys with those arrangements? 

>>Certainly we have introduced a section 70 act as a way to go through the pandemic. It can require people requiring flight back from Australia to quarantine. This is similar to requiring people in a geographical area or who have accessed a geographical area. It is just another tool in our toolbox. At the moment it is being used in a complimentary way to the other level boundaries. It does show that we do have not just the ability to use that under the act but also seven -- section 70 function.

>>I will work through the back again because of the computer malfunction.

>> Do you know what the (inaudible) would be to go back to level 4 and also (inaudible)?

>> I might submit Doctor Bloomfield, because he gives us the initial advice that we consider.

>>I think just to go back level 3 is highly restrictive. We are confident that alert level 3 alongside the testing, contact tracing and isolation and putting our cases in quarantine facilities and indeed continuing to vaccinate as fast as possible gives us all the tools that we need to continue to contain and indeed try to stamp out this outbreak. I am not planning any time soon to give advice that we need to go back into a level 4. We would not have given the advice and as we felt we could keep things contained in a level 3.

>> Aucklanders two abide by that. What would the trigger be to go back to level 4?

>>I am confident that the vast majority of Aucklanders will continue to support the effort as they have already. They are just as interested as we are in stamping out the outbreak. Secondly, we will see ongoing vaccination and we are very close to having 80 percent of people done. We have had people with their first dose. Of course we want to intensify our efforts to get that even higher as soon as possible.

>>And I would really just share the sentiment from Doctor Bloomfield. In terms of compliance here, we have seen despite the length of time that Auckland has been at these are light levels, large compliance. We have had exposure sites or locations of interest by and large people have gone out and doing the things they are doing and needing to do to survive. What I would continue to just enforce though is that no contact is trivial. You might think that a conversation with a neighbour is not serious or that your children played together in the street is something to worry about TOM STEVENS: A significant proportion of our cases have been young people. We need to worry about them as chains of transmission. We need to make sure that we look after them by keeping our bubbles tight. We not mingle with other households. That includes other family members and households. I will come across the back there. And then I will finish with Jason.

>>Just a question for Doctor Bloomfield. What would be the (inaudible).

>> I did not hear you say that, so do not want to reward that behaviour. I shall make and get that gesture.

>> What is your trajectory of the vaccination rates when it is over 90 percent in Auckland? What is your modelling saying?

>>Early October I thought.

>> It says the first half of October. I would be keen to do it as soon as possible. We have the capacity that all of the systems are in place. Now is a good time during the next few weeks for anybody not vaccinated to get out and get vaccinated. We will continue to provide any increased number of opportunities for people to get vaccinated.

>>When you say 90 percent, is that 80 percent double dosed ?

>> Ultimately it is fully vaccinated, but even a single vaccine is quite protective. With Pfizer we have seen that, including against delta. A 90 percent minimum from the start, my position on this has been as high as possible, which means ideally every single eligible person.

>>What is encouraging is the uptake rate between first dose and second doses is really close. The vast majority of people getting the first dose are then following through with our second. Wondrous matters, but two doses really gives you the really protective factor for hospitalisations and serious illness. We really want to keep encouraging everyone to do the job right. Get both doses to get the full protection. And encouragingly we are modelling basically full vaccination rates because most people have been. It is a small percentage. Do you have the capacity to bring it to 3 weeks? 

>> When you go to the booking website you have the option of six or 21 days, still sits there and for those who have vulnerabilities, so for those with comorbidities or illnesses that might make them particularly vulnerable particular those over 65, they should consider a shortened timeframe. 

>> Yes, that is true. Still our standard interval that we are recommending and what the booking system is set up to do is six weeks and that is no reason to change that. 

>> It is available to individuals on the site. They can take the decision. 

>> (Inaudible) alert level III, there is a lot more (inaudible) crossing that boundary (inaudible) have you put extra sourcing into that border and the testing of people needing to cross that border? 

>> The difference being that last time there were some people who were travelling... Remember, that was the first... We went three, two, didn't have four, so we already had the ability to set up that boundary, so not a big jump. The second thing is the reasons for travel essentially remain in place from the four environment, for the three environment, so not adding -- expecting a big change. There is still no regional travel. You still need permission to travel for essential work. You still have to be tested on a seven day rotation and if travelling for an exempted personal reason, you must as -- have a test within 72 hours of travel unless you have an emergency exemption from the Ministry of Health. 

>> With the prisoner, is the working theory he courted in the car or did the person transporting him then stay in the household in the level II environment? (Inaudible)

>> He was transported by three people. We believe the person who infected him was in that car. We are establishing the length of time that person then resided with that individual. 

>> What did you make of that phenomenal demand (inaudible) places this morning and did give you reason to think about perhaps putting on more supply? 

>> What I can report is there is more supply. That was... A first release of vouchers. So, we had 5364 people from 117 countries who secured MiQ vouchers today and we will be doing another release of a few thousand vouchers again early next week. What is really interesting to see, though, from those who were seeking vouchers today is the most popular demand was around those vouchers closest to Christmas and the New Year. With some less demand for those vouchers, not as great a demand for those vouchers that were a little more close, so September, October, so that tells us generally the high demand of people coming back for particular reasons at certain times of year, so that gives us a bit of a sense of the reasons for return for some people. The majority of passengers looking to come into New Zealand, the vast majority, Australia, and then Great Britain. And then progressively spreads across a number of countries. 

>> Any update on if you have been able to get a support person into MiQ for the father of the three children (inaudible) into Maru? 

>> Forgive me, I did have some advice on that and I will see if I have it in front of me. -- Timaroo. 

>>, the seven day rolling system of cases (inaudible) how is third value (inaudible) below one when the number of cases seems to be developing? 

>> Because the majority of cases are amongst household and other known contacts, so people who are already in isolation and nearly half of the day's cases are in a managed isolation or quarantine facility. 

>> If there are household contacts or no contact (inaudible) produces an R value? 

>> It is taken into account in the modelling. It is a counterfactual, so a R value over one means every person is affecting at least one other whereas in this case we are seeing a small number of new cases emerging and then the other cases that they are infecting people already isolated, so not then infecting others. 

>> Just on the family, police are liaising very closely with the family and we are providing space within MiQ to urgently allow family members to come into New Zealand to support the family. I don't have details on if that means people will then come into MiQ to be joined, to have that family support, we are able to be flexible when it comes to MiQ and the way we arrange it to provide for urgent needs for people but I will leave that up to the privacy of the family to work through what is going to be best for them. Children can I just ask you a group of Afghan translators have travelled from Hamilton today. They are desperate to talk to the Minister about what is happening to their families in Afghanistan. No one from the government has spoken to them all day. 

>> I wasn't specifically aware they had done that but I would say that actually on the very day we moved into lockdown I met a group of translators who came to meet me at Auckland University just knowing I was there. We had a conversation about the plights of the many cases of the extended family they were looking to support a bring into New Zealand and of course you will know that what we were working urgently to do was to support those in Afghanistan who had existing citizenship or visas and many cases to join family members to be able to arrive in New Zealand. We know there was more demand that we were able to meet in the time we had available and that is why we are working through next steps. I did say I was going to finish. Who did not reach on the back? We had Thomas and James. I will finish in the front. My last question. 

>> (Inaudible) this morning were the ones with the work starting tomorrow. Can you tell us (inaudible) in terms of the time (inaudible) flights (inaudible)? 

>> While they were last, I believe they were still taken up and people have a period of time then to be able to subsequently book their tickets but we always take into account on release people's ability to then meet that room availability. I would mention that 1352 people seeking to come in are from Australia so it would be possible within potentially to meet some of those requirements before entering (inaudible) early days. I did call time and one final reminder those not able to access vouchers we have ongoing release of vouchers throughout the year. It wasn't the case that it was one release and done. Thank you, everyone.