"These former ministers do not want to sit in a public hearing and answer the hard questions that every New Zealander deserves to know.”

Australia played a key role in shaping the agreement, serving as Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body and representing the Western Pacific region.

Estimates suggest XEC has risen from 10% to 60% of circulating SARS-CoV-2 in the past two months.

The inquiry examined the health and economic responses; while it did not directly delve into the state responses, it did cover the federal-state interface.

Factors such as climate change, biodiversity loss and other global challenges are the ultimate (high level) cause of pandemics.

Eating chilli might be useful to provide sensory stimulation to diners when their sense of smell isn’t quite up to scratch.

Allowing increased transmission will impact the economy by resulting in higher numbers of people affected by long COVID.

More than tolerate: there has been a preparedness to pretend nothing out of the ordinary is happening.

A.4/BA.5 appear to be masters at evading immunity. This increases the chance of reinfection.

Doctors and researchers have been warning about the growing threat of long COVID, as restrictions ease and case numbers climb.