National Party deputy leader Nicola Willis has defended her leader Christopher Luxon's close interactions amid the Omicron outbreak.
Luxon tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, the day after he had been seen hugging and interacting with people after delivering his State of the Nation speech in Auckland.
The Opposition leader came under scrutiny online. ICU specialist Dr Paul Young posted an old photo of Luxon wearing his face mask incorrectly, with the caption: "I am shocked that Christopher Luxon has COVID."
Journalist Andrew Vance posted footage of Luxon interacting closely with guests at his event in Botany, with the caption: "Much hugging..."
Willis on Tuesday confirmed that Luxon tested positive after the gathering.
"I was with Christopher on Sunday in Auckland where he had had a test that morning. He was clear. He hadn't experienced symptoms. What then happened was that on Monday he took a test and found that he had COVID," Willis said.
"He was wearing a mask. We intentionally kept that event small and people who were sitting in the audience were socially distanced. All those rules were followed and I think like many New Zealanders, he'd had a clear negative test, didn't believe he was a risk, and he conducted himself completely within the rules.
"My take on it is that it's a difficult time for all New Zealanders in that we know Omicron is in the community but many of us still have the urge to have similar physical contact with colleagues, friends and family members that we normally do and it's very difficult to stop that human instinct to engage with people.
"Of course that's why mask-wearing is so important and why we should all stick to the rules when it comes to reducing transmission."
Willis, responding to allegations of Luxon not properly wearing face masks, said: "I've not witnessed that."
She added: "I know he takes mask-wearing very seriously. He uses a high-quality mask and he wears it whenever he can."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern faced similar criticism in 2020 after she was snapped breaking social distancing rules by taking a selfie with a group of fans in Palmerston North.
"In that particular photo, I did make a mistake, I should've stepped further forward, I should've asked them to step apart from each other, and I acknowledge that," Ardern said at the time.
"I'll often step aside in photos to try and keep distance, and that's just something I'll just keep up when I'm in those places where we need to keep that distance up."
Willis filled in for her leader on Tuesday but as Luxon has not experienced any COVID symptoms, he chaired the National Party caucus meeting remotely and appeared at Parliament via Zoom.
"I Zoomed with him this morning and he was in great shape; in fact, he's about to chair the caucus meeting we're going to," Willis said.
"I understand there are several MPs who will not be physically present in Parliament this week either because they have COVID themselves or they have household contacts with COVID."
Willis said there 11 National MPs working from home but none were off sick.
National MP Mark Mitchell confirmed on Monday that he also tested positive for COVID-19. The Whangaparāoa MP told Newshub he had a sore throat but no other symptoms.
Luxon and Mitchell are the third- and fourth-known MPs to have contracted the coronavirus. Luxon's positive test result came just hours after National's finance spokesperson Simon Bridges tested positive.
Last week Cabinet minister David Parker reported testing positive. Parker said he had minor symptoms and was "not feeling too bad".
The Ministry of Health reported more than 23,000 new community cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday with more than 750 cases in hospital.
