Talk from the Prime Minister that Auckland could move to Alert Level 2 next week but keep its boundary highlights the Government’s lack of strategy underpinning the current lockdown, Leader of the Opposition Judith Collins says.

“Today in Parliament the Prime Minister continued to maintain that she hopes to eliminate Covid-19 from Auckland.

“But this sentiment isn’t matched by her actions.

“Despite five weeks of a harsh Level 4 lockdown, Auckland was unable to eliminate Delta. Two weeks at Level 3 has seen case numbers begin to increase again. It’s hard to believe moving to Level 2 next week will succeed where higher levels haven’t.

“So what is the strategy?

“Aucklanders just want clarity. Is the strategy elimination? Is it to buy time until vaccination levels come up? Or is it to flatten the curve and protect ICU? If you give us a goal we can get behind it but right now it is hard to see what lockdown is achieving.

“News that even if Auckland shifts to Level 2, with the rest of the country also at Level 2, a regional boundary will likely remain in place further confuses things. Are we now in a situation where we are trying to simply quarantine Auckland rather than trying to eliminate Covid?

“If that’s the case how long will it be for? Auckland can’t be an island cut off from the rest of the country forever, so what’s the next step?

“Will families spread out across New Zealand be isolated for Christmas?

“These are the questions Aucklanders, and frankly the rest of the country, want answered.

“The Prime Minister must tell Aucklanders at what vaccination rate they will be able to move out of their current isolation from the rest of the country. They need to see a light at the end of this lockdown tunnel.”

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