2. Question No. 2—COVID-19 ResponseTEANAU TUIONO (Green) (remote) to the Minister for COVID-19 ResponseQuestion No. 2—COVID-19 Response2. TEANAU TUIONO (Green) (remote) to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Is he concerned about the safety of at-risk communities following the announcement that protections under the COVID-19 traffic light system have changed and will change further?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): Preserving the safety of every New Zealander has been the Government's key priority and at the core of every decision that we have made throughout the pandemic. Recognising the disproportionate effect of the virus and that it can have on certain communities including Māori Pacific immunocompromised and disabled whānau our response has and will continue to focus on ensuring that these groups are appropriately protected. The changes announced last week informed by the latest evidence from here and overseas have been specifically designed to make life simpler and closer to normal but whilst also retaining the things that have proven to be effective in reducing the spread of the virus like the use of face masks capacity limits testing and isolation.Teanau Tuiono: What would he say to the founder of parenting support group Awhi Ngā Mātua Elizabeth Goodwin who described last week's changes as a cruel blow for whānau with disabled and immunocompromised children"?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I would disagree with that assessment. The Government has been acutely aware throughout the pandemic of the potential effect on vulnerable communities of COVID-19 and that has absolutely informed all of the decisions that we have taken.Teanau Tuiono: Does he support setting up indoor clean air standards to improve the safety of schools and workplaces?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The work that we've been doing to provide carbon dioxide monitors for every school in the country and to provide portable air cleaners where a demonstrable case exists for them is already making a difference within our schools. We are fortunate in that most of our schools actually have very good ventilation already and good airflows already. But of course we continue to look for where we can make further improvements.Teanau Tuiono: Will he ensure N95 masks are provided for teachers and staff at all schools; and if not why not?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: N95 masks are being provided to our front-line health workers. Our education workers are being provided with what we typically term "surgical masks"—the paper masks with the blue fronts that many members in the Chamber are wearing at the moment—they have been supplied to all teachers. We've also supplied enough for schools to have a back up supply for students including some small-sized masks so that schools have them available for their young students.Teanau Tuiono: What steps is he taking to address the impacts of long COVID and ensure people who are unable to work get the support they need to recover particularly in Māori and Pasifika communities as these communities have experienced higher rates of infection?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: In terms of income support that's supplied that's not something that I have ministerial responsibility for. But we are continuing to look at the evidence around long COVID and the effect that it could have for the number of people that could be affected by long COVID. It would be fair to say that the international evidence on this is still continuing to emerge and it's something that we are following very closely.Teanau Tuiono: Will he maintain the traffic light system and strengthen that system if the next waves of subsequent variants are more severe; and if not why not?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: We are committed to the traffic light system. It is absolutely the right system for New Zealand at the moment. But what we've always done throughout the pandemic is respond to the latest emerging international evidence around the effect of new variants and that's what we'll continue to do."