August 10, 2021
Container trip shows gap in border defence
Former minister Shane Jones says tougher measures need to be taken to ensure all workers at the border are vaccinated for Covid-19.
Yesterday health authorities tested more than 100 workers who were involved in the unloading the container ship Rio de la Plata at Tauranga last week.
At least 87 were unvaccinated.
The port company said today it had received informal notification 109 tests had come back negative.
It said almost all its own frontline staff are vaccinated, but there are dozens of companies that work on the port, and the border order making vaccination compulsory was only introduced on July 14.
Mr Jones says if the delta variant gets into the community there will be a multi-billion dollar economic hit as well as any health consequences.
"I find it absolutely unbelievable we still have men and women working in that context who are not vaccinated. I think this love, friendliness and compassion that the leadership of the current government has been known for runs the risk of causing more economic carnage. If you are on the front line, you get vaccinated. If you don't want to get vaccinated, give them another job," he says.
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