Labour leader Chris Hipkins has spoken exclusively to 1News on the "nightmare scenario" of getting Covid-19 with just 12 days left in the election campaign.
It was revealed yesterday Hipkins had tested positive for the virus and was isolating. It's expected he will remain in isolation for five days - emerging on Friday this week - or if he tests negative sooner.
Advance voting opened today.
Over Zoom, Hipkins - sounding congested and with a tissue near to hand - told 1News political editor Jessica Mutch McKay he felt "a little better" today than he did yesterday.
"Yesterday was obviously the toughest day."
He said he'd started to feel unwell on Saturday night and by Sunday morning he was "a bit wiped out by it".
"So, the full body aches and congestion and coughs and the whole works. Today the body aches have eased and a little bit of energy's coming back."
Labour's leader sounded a little congested as he spoke to 1News political editor Jessica Mutch McKay via Zoom today. (Source: 1News)
He said he had accepted that on the campaign trail he could be exposed to germs and a cough or cold could "emerge at some point".
"I guess the nightmare scenario is that it is Covid-19, and unfortunately as I started to get worse on Saturday night that thought did cross my mind, that maybe this isn't just a seasonal cold, maybe I should make sure I'm testing [for Covid-19] and doing the right thing.
"During an election campaign you're in contact with so many people, I just think it would be irresponsible to keep going, even though isolation is no longer mandatory."
He said he first told his staff, one of whom then tested and found they also had the virus. Labour's deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni would stand in for him in public appearances where necessary.
"The campaign will continue on. We've still got a team out there on the ground, very actively campaigning.
"I'm certainly hoping by tomorrow I'll be feeling well enough to do a few more virtual appearances at things as well."
Hipkins said it would likely mean the last week of the campaign - next week - would be even busier than anticipated.
Like anyone who'd had Covid-19 it was "frustrating" being cooped up inside, but it was "the right thing to do".
"I'd rather be in good health and be out and about meeting people and getting the message across, but in reality you can't always control these things."
With Labour polling poorly, and those polls reflecting that a left-bloc coalition would be unlikely to have the numbers to form a government, he said his illness was "absolutely not" the final nail in the coffin for the Labour campaign.
"We're still getting incredibly strong support on the ground. Our door-knockers, our phone canvassers, they're reporting back that there's still a lot of good will out there. There's still a lot of undecided vote out there."
He said there were also still a lot of people who were not engaged in the election campaign, especially compared to other years.
Hipkins, the former Covid-19 Response Minister, said given the way Covid-19 had dominated and "disrupted" the Labour government there was "certain sort of irony" it was now disrupting Labour's campaign.
With Labour internally polling daily, Hipkins said the last week or so those polls had showed a "lift" for the party.
He said there was "momentum" on the Labour campaign and he was hoping to be "well and truly" better by next Thursday's TVNZ Leaders Debate.
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