“The uncertainty of further lockdowns is unsustainable and we can’t afford to keep going like this,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“The fact Auckland had to spend 19 days locked down to isolate an outbreak shows the so-called Gold Standard contact tracing was Fools Gold Contact Tracing.

"Why should people trust a Government that had three months free from Covid to mend the roof for the storm it knew was coming?

“We simply can’t afford continuous lockdowns and the uncertainty they bring with them. We have to get smarter in our approach to this virus.

“While businesses will be relieved to be opening their doors tomorrow, case numbers are still high and the Government never should have let them get that out of control.

“When the outbreak first happened the Government gave itself a three day deadline to get contact tracing under control. It’s now been more than two weeks and yesterday we had 11 cases in the community.

“ACT’s Wellbeing Approach to Covid-19 would have ensured we were keeping up with the best in the world, like Taiwan.

“Our contact tracing should be far more advanced. The real cost now is uncertainty. Who would invest in a business now when the Government might shut it down at any moment?

“Only a party vote for ACT is a vote to use intelligent technology. Our policy is:

• New Zealand Epidemic Response Unit: Based on Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Centre
• Government as referee, not player: Allow alternative facilities for safe, electronically-monitored isolation, with strict punishment for rule-breakers
• Risk-weighted: Treat different countries and travellers with different levels of caution
• Technology-driven: Such as COVID card, ëlarm, rapid tests, temperature checks and thermal cameras
• Continuous improvement: Constantly compare ourselves with the best and seek to strengthen our resistance.

“If we want to enhance New Zealanders’ overall wellbeing, we must get a lot smarter. A Party Vote for ACT is a vote to tackle Covid-19 intelligently.”

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