Fautuaina e Vaovasamanaia le taofia o le hongi e faafeiloa'i ai tagata Maori.

Ona o puipuiga o le pepesi o le coronavirus, ua fautuaina ai e Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters, le taofia ona toe faafeiloa'i tagata e auala i le hongi i Niu Sila.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres receives a hongi from a Maori warrior. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images

E pei ona silafia, o le tu lenei a Maori e faapipi'i ai isu o tagata pe a faafeiloa'i pe faatalofa.

O Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters o se alii Maori, ma o ia fo'i o se foma'i, ma o loo avea nei ma sui palemia i le faigamalo i Aotearoa.

Na ia saunoa o le tulaga ua iai nei le lalolagi i le pepesi o le COVID-19, ua tatau ai ona taofia le hongi ona o le tausisi i le va mamao o tagata e faaitiitia ma taofia ai le pepesi o le vairusi.

Na saunoa Vaovasa:

"One of the things you've got to have regard for is whether the hongi in this circumstance is ever going to come back again," he said on Tuesday.

"There's a famous old saying which says that cultures that don't adapt, die.

"We've got to be oh so, so careful.

"Our lives and all people's lives are on the line here.

"In terms of colds, flus, influenza and COVID-19, it surely makes sense for us to consider it."