August 24, 2020
Army best defence for pandemic security
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the official response to COVID-19 is moving towards the positions his party advocated.
Cabinet is today considering whether the Level 3 lockdown in Auckland needs to be extended past Wednesday.
There have been significant changes in recent weeks, with many more Aucklanders opting to wear masks in public places, and defence force personnel brought in to boost security at the lockdown and quarantine facilities.
Mr Peters says management of the pandemic has been subject to rigorous debate in Government.
"When it came to the quarantine and all the border security things, we said before we went into lockdown that we needed to bring the military in, bring the army in, because they've got the training, they've got the logistics, whereas you go to private industry the way they did in Melbourne you have a potential for disaster," he says.
New Zealand First also advocated greater mask use for months because of their effectiveness in keeping down coronavirus spread in countries like Taiwan and Korea.
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