“Today’s decision will come as a great relief to businesses, workers and families,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“However, it is important that some good comes out of the sacrifices people have made under Alert Level restrictions. The Government must not engage in self-congratulation, but seek to improve the way it engages with technology and the private sector.

“The Government should adopt a strategy of continuous improvement in the way it responds to COVID-19.

“This latest outbreak, should come as a warning to the Government. It has revealed the Government’s COVID-19 defences frozen in time since the August outbreak. We are fortunate the virus spread to almost none of the case’s close contacts.

“The Prime Minister has, for example, been unable to give credible reasons why it hasn’t introduced saliva testing, as recommended by the Simpson-Roche report.

“Nor has she moved to make app use a requirement of entering premises as suggested by ACT.

“From the very start of the pandemic, the Government has been unwilling to work with the private sector and embrace the technologies needed to avoid costly lockdowns.

“Since August last year, ACT has argued that we must augment our COVID-19 response with better technology.

“The Ministry of Health has refused not only to work with people like Sam Morgan, but other government departments as well.

“The only difference between this outbreak and last August’s is that it hasn’t managed to spread as fast.

“Some good should come from the three days Auckland has spent in lockdown. The Government should change the way it operates to become more open to adopting new technology.”

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