Bloomfield comes under fire from Bridges over L3

Dr Ashley Bloomfield defended the reasoning behind the continued level 3 lockdown from pressure by National leader Simon Bridges at a tense select committee yesterday, after two days with no new cases recorded.

Bloomfield, the directorgeneral of health, fronted the Epidemic Response Select Committee and faced heavy questioning on why New Zealand could not sooner enter Covid-19 alert level two, and why he couldn’t answer ‘‘simple health questions’’.

Committee chair Bridges said Bloomfield was not giving a ‘‘concrete health basis’’ on why the country remained unable to open up more, as few Covid-19 cases were recorded and ‘‘thousands’’ lose jobs each day.

Bloomfield said the health advice was 14-days of level 3 were needed to monitor a complete incubation period of the virus, to determine whether ‘‘loosening’’ the restrictions after lockdown had allowed the virus to spread.

He said, as he understood it, Cabinet ministers had considered the social and economic implications of extending restrictions when making the decision to do so - not just the health advice.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will announce on Monday, May 11, whether the country will enter the more permissive Covid-19 alert level 2, which will allow most businesses to open to customers and some domestic travel around the country. Such a ‘‘careful and staged’’ easing of restrictions was required to make sure the virus doesn’t get away on health officials, Bloomfield said.

Bloomfield said health officials would be closely looking at any virus cases that emerged later this week, and any cases not linked to known clusters or other cases would be cause for concern. If these cases did not emerge, they would be ‘‘comfortable’’ with moving into alert level 2.

Bridges also questioned the Ministry of Health’s transparency and use of communications staff, which he speculated may be a 50-strong team being paid the ‘‘top dollar’’.

He said the ministry had not answered written questions lodged by the committee two weeks ago, despite MPs following up with the ministry daily.

‘‘Why don’t you answer simple health questions, to the one parliamentary committee on this remarkably significant issue ... You just aren’t answering despite repeated requests.

‘‘I think it comes down to one simple thing, you don’t want to answer because you want to control the information flow.’’

Bloomfield said he had to ‘‘reject that assertion’’ and would follow up on the unanswered questions.