16 Feb 2021

Covid-19 updates for Tuesday 16 February

6:36 pm on 16 February 2021

The Covid-19 response minister says public health is being put at risk because of attacks against border workers.

MPs have been urgently debating the latest community outbreak in Auckland and the response to it - including support measures - in Parliament this afternoon.

The debate was requested by ACT leader David Seymour.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says one of the biggest risks at the border is workers quitting their jobs.

He told Parliament ongoing attacks from Opposition MPs and some epidemiologists against border workers was putting public health at risk.

Speaking about the latest community outbreak, Hipkins said it was still too soon to jump to conclusions about the source of the infection.

Auckland moved to level 3 lockdown and the rest of the country to level 2 after three people from a household in the South Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe tested positive to the UK variant of the virus.

Since then, officials have been reviewing the settings every day. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield are due to announce at 4.30pm tomorrow a decision on a possible change to levels.

Read back through RNZ's blog for 16 February:

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