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Live: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gives post-Cabinet media briefing
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is briefing media following her Cabinet meeting.
Watch it here:
Ardern said this may the last sitting week of this Parliament, "but our Covid response continues ... during the campaign period".
"Cabinet will continue to meet fortnightly to discuss and make key decisions, these will be held on 10 and 24 August and 7 September.
"I'm also able to convene ministers remotely at any point if required."
She said the Ministry of Health would continue to provide daily updates on numbers and crucial information, and the Director-General of Health and the health minister will hold a weekly press conference.
Despite 94 days without any known community transmission, "we cannot afford to be complacent," she said.
She said the continued re-emergence of cases in Victoria was a reminder of this.
Covid-19 testing was well below the nearly 6000 tests a day during alert level 4, and was still below 4000 tests per day that has been recommended by scientists as a baseline for monitoring for any community transmission.
Ardern said there were plans to increase testing of staff at airports and isolation facilities and to equip GPs to ramp up testing, in hopes of increasing test numbers.
"Please say 'yes' to the test."
If people were asked to stay home due to Covid-related reasons, there were provisions for it, she said.
"You're covered by Covid-related costs."
In other politics news today, Ardern and National Party finance spokesperson Paul Goldsmith spoke about their plans for the economy.
Ardern said Labour's economic plan was to focus on Covid recovery with investment in training and jobs, and that National's plan to reduce debt would mean $80 billion in cuts.
Goldsmith said a National-led government would enable business growth by keeping taxes low and pushing back against regulations.
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