Former COVID 19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says Director General of Health Sir Ashley Bloomfield changed his advice during a Cabinet meeting when the government decided to extend Auckland’s 2021 COVID lockdown.

It comes after the release of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the pandemic response, which found some restrictions, including Auckland’s lockdown, lasted longer than public health advice recommended.

Speaking to Newstalk ZB, Hipkins said “Ashley Bloomfield’s advice at the Cabinet meeting was different to the advice that was reflected in the Cabinet paper.”

“At the Cabinet meeting, he argued in favour of the decision that we ultimately took and that him and Jacinda then announced that afternoon.”

Hipkins said the difference between the written Cabinet paper and the advice presented at the meeting was not unusual during the fast moving pandemic response.

“During COVID, the Cabinet papers were often prepared several days before the Cabinet meeting and they were based on preliminary public health advice,” Hipkins said.

“The Director General would then attend the meetings and he would present the most up to date public health advice based on what was available that morning to the Cabinet at the meeting.”

Hipkins said Bloomfield’s updated advice likely reflected the latest testing and contact tracing information available at the time.

“It would have been to do with what they were seeing in terms of their contact tracing, the testing results and so on that would have come in in the couple of days between when the preliminary advice was prepared and when he met with the Cabinet that day.”

The Royal Commission found ministers had been advised Auckland could have moved out of the strictest lockdown earlier, but Cabinet chose to extend restrictions.

Hipkins said he had already acknowledged the lockdown likely went on too long.

“I do think the Royal Commission have a point in saying that they thought the Auckland lockdown went on too long,” Hipkins said.

“I’ve already conceded that, but it’s wrong to say that we didn’t follow the public health advice. We did.”

The inquiry also examined decisions around vaccine mandates, including the requirement for two doses of the Pfizer vaccine for some younger people.

Hipkins rejected claims ministers ignored safety concerns about vaccinating children.

“If you read the Royal Commission report, that advice never went to ministers.”

Hipkins said ministers had requested further advice after early concerns were raised about vaccination requirements for younger age groups.

“The first piece of advice that we received said that they thought that we should consider allowing people to work in those settings with only one dose of the vaccine,” Hipkins said.

“Subsequent advice raised the concerns around myocarditis and so on, but that advice never went to ministers.”

The Royal Commission found the Ministry of Health should have passed the advice on to ministers.

“The Royal Commission itself found that advice should have gone to Cabinet,” Hipkins said.

“It was a pretty major mistake that it didn’t go to Cabinet and the Ministry of Health today have come out and said yes, they admitted that they messed that up.”

Hipkins said ministers may have made different decisions if they had received the full advice.

“I am disappointed by that because had that advice gone to ministers, the decisions may well have been different.”

The former COVID 19 Response Minister also rejected claims he avoided scrutiny from the inquiry. “I appeared before the Royal Commission twice, and you can see that because the transcripts of my appearances before them have both been released,” Hipkins said.

Hipkins said he believed the inquiry’s final report was largely balanced.

“On balance, I think the Royal Commission have done a very good job,” Hipkins said.

“It doesn’t mean I accept every recommendation that they’ve made, but I think they’ve produced a very comprehensive and pretty balanced report.”