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Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins criticized decisions made by Destiny Church leaders Brian and Hannah Tamaki as Auckland prepared to return to alert level 3 lockdown.
The couple left for Rotorua on Saturday and arrived around midnight, just six hours before the country moved to level 3, Radio NZ reported.
They told a crowd at their Sunday morning church service that they had left Auckland to avoid lockdown.
On Wednesday, Hipkins said he was “completely irresponsible.”
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* Church of Destiny leaders Brian and Hannah Tamaki leave Auckland on the eve of the Level 3 lockdown
* Covid-19: Thousands flee Auckland, risk spreading virus through New Zealand, says expert
Hipkins encouraged everyone to “exercise judgment” when it comes to attending large-scale events across the country.
Abigail Dougherty / Stuff
Destiny Church leaders Brian and Hannah Tamaki left Auckland shortly before the city was again blockaded.
“To escape Auckland right at the beginning of a lockdown and have large gatherings of people is simply putting people at risk unnecessarily.”
Bloomfield said the couple would not have been the only one to leave Auckland after the announcement.
“If we all do what is expected and required of us, and that includes wearing a mask in the right place, taking an early exam, meeting level 3 restrictions, then we will stay ahead of Covid-19 and we all need keep doing it.”
In a statement, the Destiny Church leadership said they were with Brian and Hannah Tamaki as they “travel the length and breadth of this country to do their work, meet people, encourage and inspire many.”
The statement said the couple were unable to do their work from home.
“In difficult times, people need to be able to turn to faith, otherwise all they are left with is hopelessness.
“We believe that if Destiny Church and our leaders ceased to function, there would be a huge collapse in many families across the country. Therefore, the Tamaki must continue their essential work. “
Over the weekend, Dr. Siouxsie Wiles said that the thousands of Auckland residents who fled the city before the lockdown should return home and abide by the rules.
The University of Auckland microbiologist and science communicator used Twitter to express her frustration at reports of Auckland residents heading home after the latest community case was announced.
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Dr Siouxsie Wiles previously said that Aucklandites should go home and obey the Alert Level 3 rules.
It was an “y … thing to do,” he said.
“If you are incubating the virus, you risk spreading it outside of Auckland.”
Figures from New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi show there was an increase in traffic leaving Auckland when the closure was announced at 9pm on Saturday.
By 11 p.m., there were four times as many cars as normal heading south on State Highway 1 near the State Highway 2 interchange before Pokeno.
There was also seven times more eastbound traffic on SH2 at 11pm.
