One of New Zealand's leading epidemiologists has called out the Government’s "pattern of border failures" after the latest community cluster in Auckland.
University of Otago professor of public health Michael Baker says there needs to be systemic changes to border management and isolation facilities.
"We now have a real pattern of border failures. This will be number eight or nine, I think, where we’ve had the virus come through an MIQ facility then infect staff and start small outbreaks.
"I think we really need to take a very systematic approach to reducing the number of infected people who are arriving in those facilities because that is our major area of vulnerability at present."
Baker did praise the Government for the rapid tracing of what has been named the November quarantine cluster - by using genomic sequencing to quickly link cases.
"It's quite different from the August Auckland cluster where we didn’t know where it came from."
He also had praise for Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins moving closer towards mandating mask wearing on public transport in Auckland at all alert levels.
Baker thinks it could go a step forward, where mask wearing at large indoor events could also be mandated.
His comments come as it was this afternoon announced there will be no change to alert levels in Auckland, leaving the city at Alert Level 1.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins will be taking a paper to Cabinet next week for sign off.
This comes after yesterday's community case has now been genomically linked to the November quarantine cluster, which first saw an NZDF worker become infected with Covid-19 while working at Jet Park Quarantine Facility in Auckland.
“That direct link means that new case doesn’t point to an unknown border incursion that could be spreading and it also means the risk of wider unseen spread is less likely,” Hipkins said.
“The CBD in Auckland will be reopened, and people can return.”
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