There is one new case of Covid-19 today in managed isolation.

The new case is a woman in her 30s who travelled from London. She tested positive on her third day in a quarantine facility.

There are now 27 active cases and no-one in hospital. Just over 1000 tests were processed yesterday.

Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said there were three reasons why testing rates had dropped: the rates of flu were 20 per cent lower than normal because of the lockdown; school holidays and weekends tended to see lower test numbers; people were declining tests.

He said the surge in Victoria showed how important testing was, and any possible cases of Covid-19 needed to be detected as quickly as possible.

Practices will be surveyed about barriers to testing, but they will also be told that swabs should be offered to all people with symptoms.

Testing also needed to be accessible to the population, even during weekends.

He said GPs needed to be told that tests were free.

He said everyone offered a swab needed to accept that offer.

"We have a programme well underway to test people working in quarantine and managed isolation facilities, including other staff seconded in."

That would provide additional insurance that any Covid-19 would be detected at the border.

He said 405 people working at the border or at quarantine and managed isolation facilities were tested between July 8 and July 19.

None of them have tested positive.

Bloomfield said people were declining tests because they were confident there was no community transmission. "They then think 'I don't necessarily need a swab'."

The nasal swab can also be unpleasant, so Bloomfield said that GPs could use the throat swab.

"We're not doing the testing for nothing. It is an absolutely fundamental part of our strategy. We don't want to be like the situation in Melbourne."

In Victoria, he said a few cases suddenly surged to hundreds a day.

Bloomfield didn't know how widespread the problem was about people refusing tests, but the surveys to GPs could shed some light on that.

Hipkins said the changing of criteria for testing "probably didn't help" with testing rates, but there were other factors including the school holidays.

Hipkins said he wanted daily updates of who is being tested in the community, in quarantine and managed isolation facilities, and staff working at the border. He had asked for that two weeks ago, and Bloomfield said that work was continuing "at pace".

Bloomfield said the Oxford University work publish today on a potential vaccine was "hugely encouraging".

"The key thing in this effort is the knowledge that has been gained has been published early so that can inform others."

There were no current plans to procure doses of that particular potential vaccine, as the UK has done, but Bloomfield said work was continuing around "a whole range of vaccines" because good early results didn't necessarily mean that it would be the first choice at the end of the process.

Bloomfield said jokingly that he had been "set up" for the upcoming parliamentary rugby game because he was meant to be on the wing but is now playing as a flanker.

Asked if he was concerned anyone would land a big hit on Bloomfield, Hipkins said the director general will be able to "look after himself".

Govt puts $302m more into health services

Health Minister Chris Hipkins said that the Covid pandemic had hit global supply chains and made medicines more expensive.

"With the virus now spreading faster than ever, it's clear that disruption to supply chains will continue and more investment is needed," Hipkins said.

The Government is allocating $74 million to Pharmac for this year and $76 million in 2021/22 so it can continue to afford the medicines that New Zealanders need.

The money is coming out of the $50 billion Covid Response and Recovery Fund.

Further health funding has also been approved to support contact-tracing, the roll-out of a future vaccine, and higher demand for telehealth services.

In total the $302.6m is spread across:

• $150 million (over two years) for Pharmac

• $30 million in the National Close Contact Service, which supports contact-tracing, information technology and development of the Tracer app

• $23 million for a National Immunisation Solution to support the rollout of a vaccine, whenever it is ready

• $35 million for more ventilators and respiratory equipment

• $50 million for PPE supplies

• $14.6 million for telehealth services

"We can't afford to wait for a vaccine to be available," Hipkins said.

"We need to start work now to replace the current National Immunisation Register, which simply could not cope with the scale and complexity of a mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign.

"All these investments are designed to further build our ability to respond to the global pandemic now and into the future."