A Pacific public health expert says a premature transition of Covid-19 restrictions in New Zealand could be lethal for Maori and Pasifika communities.
The government is under increasing pressure to ease restrictions in Auckland with National saying it would set a six-week deadline for ending lockdowns and that a target of 85-90 percent vaccination rates were 'do-able' within that timeframe.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday revealed the city would remain in alert level 3, step 1 and signalled the government would reveal a Covid-19 protection plan on Friday.
But Auckland University public health associate professor, Collin Tukuitonga says, easing restrictions before vaccinations rates among the most at risk communities of Maori and Pasifika are high could be a death sentence.
Kia ora Collin so what is it you would like to see the government announcing on Friday?
Police monitoring a checkpoint in Mercer, near Auckland's border with Waikato. Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
