24 Jun 2020

Untested compassionate exemptions an 'operational' responsibility - Health Minister

From Checkpoint, 5:07 pm on 24 June 2020

There is one new case of Covid-19 in New Zealand on Wednesday - a woman who returned home on an Air India flight and was in isolation at Auckland's Pullman Hotel.

New Zealand has a total of 11 active cases, all new arrivals who are in quarantine. At least seven of those are people who arrived from India.

The Health Minister on Tuesday announced beefed up Covid-19 protocols at the border; including testing customs workers, immigration and aviation security and international air and maritime crews.

Health Minister David Clark would not take responsibility for the large number of people being released from managed isolation early, without being tested for Covid-19. Clark told Checkpoint it's an operational issue and he is helping to sort it out. He says Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield has taken responsibility for the blunder.