Is Govt upholding its end of the Covid-19 bargain?

“Aucklanders will be asking whether the Government is upholding its end of the Covid-19 bargain,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“New arrivals at the MIQ facility at the Grand Millennium were seen on Monday mixing and mingling with people from The Vincent Residences.

“Several hundred people from both buildings were seen on the footpath together. How was that allowed to happen?

“I have constituents separated from family overseas, or unable to bring skilled staff into the country, who are suffering under the current border restrictions.

“The Government, meanwhile, isn’t upholding its end of the bargain. It’s allowing new arrivals inside its MIQ facilities to ignore the rules and is risking another community outbreak.

“Instead of trying to do everything itself, the Government should be setting clear rules of the game and allowing other organisations to comply with them or be punished.

“Meanwhile, journalists have been quicker than health officials to contact the neighbours of the new community case, showing a clear need for a fast-moving Epidemic Response Unit.

“One of the first actions the Ministry of Health should have taken this morning was to door-knock every single person at The Vincent Residences encouraging them to get a test and isolate.

“Yet, the journalists camped outside the building were the first to tell residents who had no idea that one of their neighbours had tested positive for Covid-19.

“That’s not good enough. We desperately need a nimble Epidemic Response Unit to quickly put a cordon up around new community cases.”