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16 Jan 2026 16:50
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      Home > News > Politics

    The Covid Response Minister's defending keeping Auckland roped off

    The Covid Response Minister's defending keeping Auckland roped off


    It's been revealed the Health Ministry advised Cabinet to open the border last Friday when the country moved into the traffic light system.

    The advice was in the Director-General of Health's affidavit to the Waitangi Tribunal, for a hearing on the new Covid-19 framework.

    Cabinet isn't relaxing the border until next Wednesday.

    Minister Chris Hipkins says they want to give the rest of New Zealand chance to hit 90 percent vaccinations first.

    He says when cases begin to spread out of Auckland, it will ensure we're in the best shape possible to stop a spike.

    © 2026 Newstalk ZB, NZCity

     Other Politics News
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     16 Jan: State schools can now apply for a one-off grant to help cover asbestos removal costs
     15 Jan: Tertiary students can now claim back fees for their final year of study through Inland Revenue
     15 Jan: Communities Against Alcohol Harm isn't backing down, despite a well-known brewery being given the all-clear over its F-word branded gin
     15 Jan: Ukraine's former PM Yulia Tymoshenko, formerly a rival to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, facing allegations of bribery
     14 Jan: Excessive drinking at a Disability Support Services Christmas party is being claimed as partially to blame for alleged unacceptable behaviour
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