MP claims pair stopped during trip

Health officials have insisted two women diagnosed with Covid-19 after leaving a managed isolation facility, drove non-stop to Wellington.

However, a National MP alleged in the House yesterday that they got lost, stopped and met someone.

National’s health spokesman Michael Woodhouse said in the House that he had been informed by someone who knew the family.

His source said the car was borrowed, and the women drove the wrong way out of Auckland and that someone they knew went to find them to point them in the right direction.

He told the House his source claimed that there was a kiss and a cuddle before they departed and raised concerns that they had not been checked.

Woodhouse said there needed to be a closer examination of the circumstances and the reassurance that Bloomfield had given about the officials being on top of the contact tracing.

During Question Time, Woodhouse asked Health Minister David Clark if the two individuals were accompanied on their drive and if not, how he could be 100 per cent sure they did not stop on the trip.

Clark said he was assured they were the kind of people who had demonstrated they had followed protocols in place.

Woodhouse then asked Clark if he had seen reports that the pair went the wrong way on their journey to Wellington and came into close contact with people who gave them directions.

‘‘And the good Samaritans who assisted them were rewarded with a kiss and a cuddle.’’

Clark had not heard about the report and said he would be deeply concerned if that was the case.

‘‘I have been assured there has been no contact on the journey.’’

Yesterday, Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield reiterated he was confident there was no contact made with anyone on the journey between Auckland and Wellington.