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Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins has faced a grilling from radio host Mike Hosking - with suggestions that officials would be better off giving him $1 million to "make up numbers" that would be more accurate than expert advice.
Speaking to the Newstalk ZB host this morning, Hipkins admitted being dubious about infection rate modelling that projected up to 80,000 new community cases around the country by Waitangi Day weekend - this weekend.
There were 147 community cases reported yesterday.
Hosking said: "When's this surge coming, by the way, given we're expecting 80,000 a day by Waitangi Day, which is Monday?"
"I've always been very sceptical about the models," Hipkins responded.
Hosking cut in: "Why have you given them $6 million to model?"
"It's a little bit like the weather forecast. Some nights they say it's going to rain tomorrow and it turns out being a nice sunny day," the minister said.
Hosking spoke over him: "Well, why don't you just guess? I'll tell you what - instead of $6 million, how about you give me $1 million, I'll model for you, I'll make up some numbers and I'll probably be more accurate."
Hipkins said people wanted to have confidence that the Government was mindful of what the future might hold and prepare accordingly.
Newstalk ZB host Mike Hosking. Photo / NZME
On rapid antigen tests, Hipkins said people could not buy them at the moment due to global supply issues.
Even countries that had been making them more freely available were being a bit more restrictive, he said.
"I think the global supply chain will resolve itself and we will see a much greater number of them but at the moment they're in short supply."
He said it was important that the Government ensured those who needed to have RAT tests were available for those who needed them the most.
"The priority for us is going to be making sure we've got tests available to those who need to test in order to return to work."
On Sir Ian Taylor and the Kudu Spectrum deal, the Covid Response Minister described him as a "good critical friend" of the Government.
Hipkins said the businessman had been working closely with the Government over an alternate supply of rapid antigen tests and he appreciated that.
Hipkins said the Government now had nearly 200 million tests on order but some of those weren't expected to arrive until later in 2022.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins. Photo / Mark Mitchell
He said on criticism level against the government by Sir Ian Taylor about identifying essential businesses, a set of criteria would be released detailing which workers needed to go to work and which businesses were regarded as critical.
Businesses would then assess themselves against the criteria.
Hipkins said these businesses would be eligible for rapid antigen tests.
"Every business is essential but some are more essential than others in an environment where you've got a big surge of Covid-19 cases in the community," said the minister.
On removing self-isolation and allow tourism to resume unhindered he said there was "still a lot of water to flow under the bridge" over the next few months before they reached that point.
"We will at some stage almost certainly reach the point where self-isolation won't be required but we don't know at this point."
He described saying when it would happen would be akin to crystal-ball gazing.
"You can have models but until you actually see the reality of what we're going to face over the next few months it's very difficult to make those kind of decisions."
