January 29, 2021
Ministers comfortable with COVID response
Associate Heath Minister Peeni Henare says he can see no reason why next week’s programme at Waitangi should not go ahead.
The Tāmaki Makaurau MP is in the north preparing for Waitangi Day, and yesterday spoke with the group operating a checkpoint at Waiōmio.
Politicians will miss out on a face to face meeting with the Iwi Leaders Forum, which has moved its meeting online, and some other events have also been postponed or cancelled.
Mr Henare says he understands people’s concerns about the cases of COVID-19 in the community, but the information being shared by COVID Response Minister Chris Hipkins gives cause for optimism.
"We're relatively comfortable with where the COVID response work is at the moment. We're keeping an eye on the situation and I'm sure if the situation changes Minister Hipkins will let the country know," he says.
Much will depend on the result of testing in the next couple of days of people who may have contacted the three people who contracted COVID-19 shortly before being released from managed isolation at Auckland’s Pullman Hotel.
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