NZ ill prepared for COVID variant due to cost cutting - expert

Cost cutting means New Zealand is ill prepared for an outbreak of a new covid variant, despite the virus still being the number one infectious disease killer, according to well known Otago University epidemiologist Doctor Michael Baker. ESR confirmed the highly transmissable Covid-19 sub-variant, XEC is here. This strain is a mix of two previous Omicron subvariants, it's already in about 30 other countries too and spreading rapidly. Epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker spoke to Lisa Owen.