“The change in Alert Levels is a relief for New Zealanders but we need to get smarter about how we deal with Covid-19,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“One small outbreak led to 57 days of restrictions on Aucklanders lives, and the rest of New Zealand also being punished.

“I really feel business owners who through no fault of their own have lost thousands of dollars in revenue because the Government didn’t act smart or fast enough.

“Aucklanders will be asking why they can’t move to Level 2 at midnight tonight. To that question, Jacinda Ardern and Ashley Bloomfield gave three different answers.

“One, Auckland needs more time at Level 2.5. Two, the new orders need to be given with 48 hours’ notice. Three, the Government needs time to draft the orders.

“If the latter is true, why couldn’t it draft the orders ahead of today’s decision? Aucklanders deserve a straight answer from the Government.

"The Government set itself a three-day challenge, but by 7 October Aucklanders will have been under restrictions for 57 days. Clearly, the Government's contact tracing isn't gold standing.

“If it is the ‘gold standard’ I’d hate to be the country that got silver.

“We should also be asking why Dr Bloomfield, the man in charge of running the Ministry of Health, had to give up hours of his day to travel to Auckland to fit in with the Prime Minister’s election campaigning.

“Only a Party Vote for ACT is a vote to get smarter in dealing with Covid-19:

• 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 the 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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