The Government is continuing to face flak over the lack of testing of workers at the border, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admitting it's not what she expected.
It comes as Parliament kicked back into gear following the announcement the election would be delayed until October 17.
The Government’s promise to test staff at the border was the main topic today.
Opposition leader Judith Collins questioned the PM about why all border-facing staff had not been tested "eight weeks after her Government said they would be tested."
Ms Ardern said it “was clear then once we were able to get numbers coming through from that - although it was never comprehensive because because it didn't pick up anyone tested outside - keep in mind if you are symptomatic you would not be at work to therefore be tested.”
The National leader called lack of Covid-19 border staff testing an "absolute failure". (Source: Other)
“We identified that that coverage was not what we had expected,” she said.
The Prime Minister said the number of Covid-19 cases have gone up recently. However, Ms Collins said two-thirds of hotel and border staff had not been tested one week before the emergence of the Auckland cluster.
Ms Ardern this afternoon told National MP Paul Goldsmith the Government set down a Cabinet minute on July 22 mandating every staff member working in managed isolation quarantine to be tested after it was made apparent that we “were not getting full coverage.”
She added that the Government has “not as yet established a link between the current cluster in Auckland and border staff”.
While the Prime Minister said the mandate was enforced following “reports of reluctance around testing”, Ms Collins said Ms Ardern was “entirely wrong".
Ms Collins said people had told her they had asked for tests and had been refused.
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