New Zealanders are being encouraged to get tested for Covid-19, as daily testing rates are falling well short of the Ministry of Health's own targets.
On Monday 1608 tests were completed, with a seven-day rolling average of 2348. Both are well short of the 4000 a day the Director-General of Health estimates is optimal.
While there is no evidence of community transmission in New Zealand, Dr Ashley Bloomfield says if there are new cases, the threshold to recommend lockdown restrictions will be low.
RNZ Checkpoint's Lisa Owen asked Dr Bloomfield about the sentencing of a woman who escaped managed isolation and the judge's concerns a lack of mental health screening at the facility was "a major failing".
"Everyone going into managed isolation – as they go in they'll take a full assessment and that includes any mental health needs now.
"And also if those needs are identified either when they go in, or during their stay there, we have got trained staff who can help – both the nursing and other health staff who are there on a 24/7 basis, but also they can call up and get support from specialist mental health services, so I think that area has been greatly strengthened," he said.
As new arrivals enter managed isolation or quarantine, they are asked about any physical or mental health needs they have, Dr Bloomfield said. They are assessed by nurses, and specialist services are available for any immediate health needs.
"There are also daily check-ins by the nursing staff and other staff, and if any new needs emerge during the stay, then specialist services can be called on."
On Tuesday morning at the sentencing of a woman who escaped Covid-19 managed isolation in Dunedin, Judge Kevin Phillips criticised police and facility operators, describing a lack of mental health assessment and additional care for those suffering from such issues in managed isolation as "a major failing".
In response, Dr Bloomfield told Checkpoint the Ministry of Health and isolation facility management were "constantly reviewing all aspects of the health and other services that are provided to people".
"For example we audited infection prevention and control. We will of course take a very good look at what the judge has found and make sure that those services that might be needed are readily available, and that it is clear to people how to reach out and get help if they need it."
What happens if community transmission of Covid-19 happens in New Zealand?
If community transmission of Covid-19 did happen in New Zealand, the decision for what level of lockdown we would return to would be up to Cabinet, Dr Bloomfield said.
"Our mainstay is to identify early if we've got any cases of community transmission, so that we can actually put in place measures to ringfence, contact trace and isolate people without having to go into a lockdown situation.
"That's why we've used the time over the last few months to absolutely strengthen that national contact tracing capability and capacity.
"What it does show is actually if you're going to implement measures that put restrictions on people's movement then the time to do this is early on, and I know that there will be a low threshold for us."
Community transmission would not necessarily mean restricted movement, Dr Bloomfield said.
"The idea here is that we implement immediate processes around contact tracing, self-isolation and testing of potential close, casual contacts. And the whole aim of doing it early and really scaling up our contact tracing capability is to avoid putting restrictions on movement.
"What we've seen of course if you contrast New South Wales with Victoria is they have deployed that very rapid testing, contact tracing, and so far, much lower numbers of cases [in NSW] and they haven't had to put any restrictions on movement, even though they've got cases each day.
How many Covid-19 tests should be happening each day in NZ?
"We think it depends partly on the number of people in managed isolation facilities," Dr Bloomfield said.
"Over the last few weeks because the airlines stopped the flights coming in our managed isolation facilities have only been at about 50 to 60 percent capacity, so that's reduced the numbers of people being tested there.
"We have seen an increase over the last couple of weeks in people being tested on the community, we would like more, and our aim is to have everybody who is symptomatic be tested.
"Also we will be doing, as we are today in Queenstown, these pop-up approaches where we want to do wider community surveillance, including people who may not have symptoms but where we are just wanting to be sure there's no community transmission."
Ideally around 4000 Covid-19 tests should be happening, he said.
"That includes our community testing, plus our day three and day 12 testing in managed isolation, plus our testing of people who work around the border, in those managed isolation facilities.
"We do know the number [of tests] in the community has been low, we know people have been declining testing, and that's why we really have put a focused effort on that, and we've seen those numbers start to increase over the last week or two.
"We're wanting them to go higher and we're also wanting to supplement that with these pop-ups, the one in Queenstown today is going very well."
Across the Tasman
The Ministry of Health has offered support to Victoria as the state grapples with the resurgence of Covid-19. Officials there recorded another 439 new cases, and 11 more deaths on 4 August.
Dr Bloomfield said the Ministry had offered governmental and professional support.
That offer has not been taken up, he said, but it is important Australia has New Zealand's offer as part of its assurance mechanism if it needs to test anything with New Zealand.
"We have had that experience of going into a very strict lockdown, and how that worked, and so we're ready to provide any support. We've had a really good working relationship with Australia right from the start of this, and that continues."
