Just over $140 million will be given to Māori and Pasifika health providers to help those communities hit the hardest in the current Covid outbreak. 

The Government has announced the boost to help some of the most vulnerable communities to the virus and whose people are now disproportionately represented in this Omicron wave. 

Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare said officials were committed to making sure those vulnerable families received the support and care they deserve. 

"With Omicron cases increasing, it is important whānau have the support they need to self-isolate and stop the spread of the virus." 

Pasifika and Māori hit hardest in current outbreak 

The latest demographic statistics show 10,372 people of Pacific descent (37 per cent of all cases) have contracted Covid in the current outbreak. 

A total of 7257 Māori make up 26 per cent of all cases. 

Henare, also the Minister for Whānau Ora, made the announcement this morning alongside Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio and Minister for Māori Development Willie Jackson. 

The $140m will go to up to 160 Māori and Pacific health providers around New Zealand and is in addition to the Care in the Community boost announced by government officials last week. 

Sio said the investment would be of particular help to Pasifika health providers outside of the northern region and would see the scaling up for services being given to Pacific families. 

"Funding will go towards supporting their workforce resources including vaccination. I want to encourage innovative Pacific models of care with a focus on the immediate Omicron response. 

"I want to communicate key public health messages in culturally appropriate ways," Aupito William Sio said." 

Earlier this morning, Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson says the Parliament grounds occupation is no longer peaceful - and has urged protesters to go home. 

Robertson said police were doing what they said they would do in a bid to give Wellingtonians their city back. 

"They're over this," Robertson told Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking. 

Protest now 'beyond' a peaceful one 

And Robertson told TVNZ this was no longer a peaceful protest and called on those involved to go home. 

"This is a protest that has gone well beyond what I think most New Zealanders would see as a peaceful protest. You've made your point, please leave now." 

Asked if there was any chance of discussion between the Government and the protesters, Robertson said they would not negotiate with people who were carrying out acts such as the illegal blocking of roads and throwing human waste at police and into the city's drains. 

He encouraged people not to visit the site. "This is not a place for people to go to spectate," he told TVNZ's Breakfast. 

"Wellingtonians have had enough of this. Our streets have been blocked, our people have been harassed, our environment has been trashed. 

"Whatever point the protesters think they might've been making, they've made it and now it's time for them to leave." 

Robertson told AM he did not think phase 3 of the red-light response would be "far away at all". 

The trigger point was around 5000 cases a day and cases were currently doubling every three to four days. 

There were 2365 cases and two deaths reported yesterday. 

Under phase 3, the definition of a close contact changed and narrowed to basically being a household contact so this would help businesses keep going with few people required to isolate. 

"We do recognise with more cases, the level of disruption businesses face is going to be much higher." 

They recognised it was very tough for a number of businesses, which is why they had offered the latest support package, he said. 

Currently in phase 2 close contacts still had to isolate, but RATS allowed people to be tested more quickly so they could isolate and let their contacts know. The role of rapid antigen tests would also evolve as the country moved into phase 3. 

Robertson pointed to other countries where an Omicron outbreak had occurred - the rate of Covid cases peaked within four to six weeks. 

Overseas evidence showed that once that Omicron wave was over, consumers were quick to come back to support businesses. "This is a hump that we will get over."