Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): Today, I announced that from 14 November, managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) stays for border arrivals will be halved to seven days, followed by a short period of self-isolation at home and release once somebody has had a negative day 9 test. When the MIQ system was introduced, we didn't have a vaccine, so every arrival posed a higher level of risk. With most people now fully vaccinated when they arrive in New Zealand, the risk profile of international arrivals has changed, so it's time to start changing our MIQ settings. Arrivals will be tested at day zero or day one, day three, and day six or seven. A rapid antigen test and the health checks will be carried out on day seven before a person leaves MIQ, and people will get a PCR test on day nine when they are at home and they'll have to stay at home until the result comes back. This announcement strikes the right balance, managing the current risk from overseas arrivals, while taking a significant step in the Government's ongoing strategy to carefully reconnect New Zealand with the rest of the world. 