Jacinda Ardern says she thought she may have been "a bit blunt" in her language yesterday, after she accused an infected security guard at the Grand Millennium MIQ facility of "lying" to their employer about getting regular Covid-19 tests.
It was revealed yesterday that managed isolation and quarantine had no official records showing the person had been tested since November 2020 - prior to last week's positive test.
Yesterday in the House, Ardern said the security guard - Case B - "lied about being tested".
To media, she said the Government were "getting advised, in this case, the individual was lying to the employer".
"If someone is not fulfilling their requirements and lying about it, you can see that presents issues."
Today, Ardern said her "language yesterday was blunt".
"I absolutely accept that. But I also accept we have a role as a check and balance ... I do hope that everyone keeps playing their part."
"I think I was probably a bit blunt, but it doesn't change my view of the roles we all have to play and I accept the Government's role."
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said during a press conference today that the individual was supplying information to the employer that they were being tested.
"We all have a part of play here," Ardern said today.
"We have an expectation that employees are tested, we have an expectation that their employers are checking that's happening, and we as the Government, we're that final check and balance and we absolutely recognise there are things we needed to improve to be that backstop measure and we're doing that."
"We do know we need to improve that system."
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