National's election promise to "inject some steel" into New Zealand's border defence against Covid-19 includes creating an agency to oversee border management and requiring all people returning to New Zealand to test negative before entering the country.
National leader Judith Collins called the current system "ad-hoc", saying the Government's decision to use different agencies "has led to a disorderly and confused response, putting the health and livelihoods of five million New Zealanders at risk".
Thirty minutes before National's announcement, the Government revealed it was rolling out additional security systems to all managed isolation and quarantine facilities - including thermal CCTV around the perimeter, CCTV in public and exercise areas to ensure distancing and also in corridors.
National deputy leader Gerry Brownlee said creating a 'Te Korowai Whakamaru/NZ Border Protection Agency' would have the "personnel, technology and capability to provide a world-class defence against Covid-19".
The party also wanted to "immediately invest and seek to rapidly deploy Bluetooth technologies to enhance contract tracing, making these mandatory for border facility workers and District Health Board staff who treat or test patients".
The technology has been used in Singapore and Australia and utilises a phone’s Bluetooth chip to record close contacts .
The new policy includes establishing a ‘New Zeeland border Protection Agency’. (Source: Other)
Health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti said National would also require anyone coming into New Zealand to "not only quarantine but also test themselves for Covid-19 three days before departure, and provide the results of that test to airline staff before boarding their plane".
The party also wanted to implement a target for test waiting times of no longer than 60 minutes.
Yesterday, the Government deployed 500 further Defence Force personnel into managed isolation and quarantine facilities and at the maritime border in a bid to bolster Covid-19 security measures.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern also announced a small team - co-chaired by Helen Clark’s former top adviser Heather Simpson and Sir Brian Roche - to help test border staff more rapidly. It came after it was revealed more than 60 per cent of border staff had not been tested for Covid-19.
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