January 27, 2021
Harawira says north not protected from COVID threat
The founder of the Tai Tokerau Border Control is slamming the response of health authorities to the more infectious strains of COVID-19.
The group is considering reintroducing checkpoints in light of a Northland woman testing positive for the South African strain of the coronavirus after leaving managed isolation and quarantine.
Hone Harawira says despite the increased danger, border protocols haven't changed.
He says the District Health Board also wound down its testing capacity after last year's lockdowns, leading to the problems of the past few days.
"They're saying to us it's only in Mangawhai. We already know it's not just in Mangawhai. It's in Whangārei. If it's in Whangārei, tens of thousands of people travel through Whangārei to get to the north. It's Ngāpuhi weekend this weekend. We're going to have tens of thousands of people coming up here. There are no testing facilities apart from the ones that are going to give you a 16-hour traffic jam before you get a test," he says.
Hone Harawira says planning for COVID-19 still isn't taking into account the fact Māori and Pasifika people are at high risk if they catch the disease.
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