Iwi elders in Tairāwhiti want to put a border around the region to prevent Covid-19 overwhelming its health system.
Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare visited the region covering the North Island's East Cape recently, and says he'll be passing on the iwi message to the Police Minister today.
He told Morning Report their concerns aren't about vaccination rates, but the health system in general.
"They're also not just mindful of Māori communities, but the entire community and the fragile health infrastructure, that they see they've got in the Tairāwhiti region."
Henare doesn't agree that Tairāwhiti's health system would struggle with a Covid-19 outbreak.
"I didn't agree with them that they're going to be short. My job was to listen to them. My job then is to relay that message on to my colleagues," he said.
"We'll continue to support them and work with them to make sure that they get the support that they need, just like we will with the vaccine programme."
