Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Jacinda Ardern to travel to Auckland after Trevor Mallard drops restrictive Parliamentary Covid rules

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaking at a press conference during her visit to Northland. Photo / RNZ

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will visit Auckland next week, after Speaker Trevor Mallard has changed the rules that made it almost impossible for Auckland and Waikato MPs to commute to Wellington.

"With the Speaker removing the rule that was a barrier to me heading to Auckland, I'm now maknig plans to get there early next week," Ardern said.

Mallard will drop his requirement for MPs from level 3 areas to do five days isolation in Wellington prior to entering Parliament.

Instead, MPs will only need a negative test result no less than 72 hours before they leave the level 3 area.

However, Parliament's remaining Covid measures wil not change. No more than 60 MPs will be allowed in the chamber at any one time, and mask-wearing in the chamber and corridors will continue.

MPs will not be required to return to Wellington - the proxy voting rules that enable MPs to do their jobs without returning to Parliament will remain for now.

Mallard also confirmed he had asked Parliamentary Service to investigate making available rapid antigen testing to attempt to "keep staff safe".

The news came as Act Party leader David Seymour called for saliva or rapid antigen testing to be widely used at Parliament once Auckland and Waikato MPs are allowed back, saying few places would be at more risk of spread than Parliament.

Seymour said that for the safety of Parliament's 500-odd staff and to stop any possible cases reaching the wider Wellington public, rapid antigen testing or saliva should be available.

"It is difficult to imagine a worse institution for spreading a virus than parliament. People perfectly evenly distributed around the country come together and shout in the same room then fly home every week."

He said rapid antigen testing was now being used by major companies such as Genesis, Air NZ, and Mainfreight, and introducing it at Parliament would help reduce the risk of an outbreak in or caused by Parliament.

Thus far, the only Auckland-based MPs at Parliament have been National leader Judith Collins, Act's David Seymour, and more recently National's finance spokesman Andrew Bayly.

Collins and Seymour have both been back to Auckland and done isolation upon return.

The absence of Auckland MPs has meant their colleagues have had to fill in for them when speaking on portfolio issues and on legislation, as well as running question lines against the Government.

The Speaker has previously signalled a vaccinations certificate is likely to be introduced for Parliament in the future.