Rt. Hon Winston Peters

“New Zealand First is concerned at the inexcusably slow COVID vaccine rollout and predicting a chilling result for public health and a lockdown of our economy, says Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“New Zealand suffers from the worst vaccine rollout performance in the first world. Just as bad is the low vaccination rates for Māori and Pacifica despite Government saying these populations are the most vulnerable.

“Millions of dollars have been wasted on duplicitous advertising and announcements of timetable rollouts which could never be kept. Sufficient vaccine supplies were never secured in time to match vaccination targets.”

“Now it is too late to achieve the herd immunisation levels needed to confront the Delta variant. Delivery against announced timetables has been months out, and a 1 in 10 vaccination rate of frontline border personnel at Tauranga’s Port shows how vacuous Government assurances have been, says Mr Peters.

“When the Delta variant breaks out, large vulnerable sections of the public will have every right to feel betrayed.”

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