The major Auckland festival Pasifika was cancelled in an announcement on Friday morning, just before the weekend event was about to launch.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff told Lisa Owen it was a tough decision, but the right one, as the amount of international travel poses too much of a risk to the Pacific Islands.
"It is an enormous decision and it's one we got to reluctantly and regretfully, but one we felt that we had to make.
Goff told Checkpoint the cancellation is not based on the Ministry of Health's advice which says large events can still happen, but is based on precautions around all the international visitors to the event.
"We know that some hundreds of people are coming to Pasifika from the Pacific Islands. While the risk of them contracting Covid- 19 as low, should they do that and carry it back to the islands, it's very clear that the impact on the islands would be disastrous.
"They've seen that before back in 1918 with the massive loss of life with the influenza epidemic of that year. We saw it last year, with 82 lives being lost, mainly children in Samoa.
"We just didn't think we could take that risk with the enormous impact that would have on our Pacific neighbours."
Goff said ATEED did not have clear figures yet on what the cancellation will cost.
"But that cost does not outweigh the health and safety and wellbeing considerations that led us to this decision."
Auckland Council's Tourism agency ATEED provides security and infrastructure for the event. Goff said he thinks those costs would be in the tens of thousands of dollars.
The reason for the late announcement of the cancellation is that officials have been following Ministry of Health advice, Goff said.
"I've relied on that advice and properly so. But I think the other factor… is even if it's low risk, what the potential impact would be if that was to involve a case of transmission back to the Pacific, which doesn't have the health systems, which doesn't have the resources that we have to properly can constrain and deal with an outbreak."
Regarding other events being cancelled in Auckland, Goff said it depends on the circumstances. If New Zealand had a community outbreak like those in Europe then there would be widespread cancellation of events, he said.
Goff said he is seeking advice on whether Polyfest will go ahead.
"We will be talking very soon to the organisers about the appropriateness of that event going forward."
