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Associate Health Minister defends keeping Auckland in lockdown

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 4 Mar 2021, 6:06PM
Minister Peeni Henare. (Photo / NZ Herald)
Minister Peeni Henare. (Photo / NZ Herald)

Associate Health Minister defends keeping Auckland in lockdown

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 4 Mar 2021, 6:06PM

Peeni Henare's backing the decision to keep Auckland locked down - until Cabinet meets to consider alert levels tomorrow.

As it stands - Auckland will stay at Level 3, and the rest of the country at Level 2, at least until the weekend.

He says it's been clear all week that we would be here for seven days.

In a head-to-head with Newstalk ZB's Heather du Plessis-Allan, Associate Health Minister Henare was adamant there's always still a risk with Covid-19.

Asked about comments Ashley Bloomfield made about there being a "sharp perimeter", Henare pushed back. 

"Bloomfield also said that there are still some final test results to come back and contacts to be made."

It's now been four days with no new community cases.

Henare says the lack of any cases shows that the lockdown worked. 

He says it is incorrect to say that we are only in lockdown because there was initial confusion over 

"Talking to the community providers as the Minister for Whanau Ora, those who are working with our families in Auckland under level three, are saying that people are OK. Poeple are looking after this.

"And yes, there is a pressure here because we accept that Covid-19 isn't easy, but for the most part our people in Tamaki Makarua are doing OK." 

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