COVID-19 managed isolation in New Zealand

Distinction Christchurch in use as a managed isolation hotel

Compulsory quarantine, termed managed isolation by the government, is New Zealand's health response to minimise the risk of new cases of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) entering the country during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand. Compulsory managed isolation was announced by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the daily 1 pm (NZT) press conference on 9 April 2020, with the system coming into effect for people boarding flights to New Zealand from midnight that day. The government has contracted dozens of hotels in five cities that are exclusively used as managed isolation facilities. The task is organised by the Managed Isolation and Quarantine unit, part of the COVID-19 All-of-Government Response Group, and is thus also known under their abbreviation MIQ.

Background

Main article: COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand

On 28 February 2020, New Zealand confirmed its first case of COVID-19. At the daily 1 pm press conference on 14 March, Ardern announced that people entering New Zealand must go into a fortnight's self-isolation beginning on 16 March; people coming from Pacific Island nations were initially exempt from these restrictions. By mid-March, the government was urging New Zealanders to return home urgently.

History

2020

At the daily 1 pm press conference on 9 April 2020, Ardern announced that those boarding flights after midnight that day would have to go into managed isolation provided by the government. She explained that government had been considering this measure for some time, but there simply was not the capacity to introduce these measures any earlier as almost 40,000 New Zealanders had returned since 20 March, a number larger than all the country's hotel rooms. Part of the announcement was that the government would use up to 18 hotels, but this was soon increased to 26 by early July and 32 by early August.

Three representatives of the Defence Force, Corrections, and Police undertook a review of the managed isolation system at the end of June. They found that little pre-planning had been done, with a Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) unit created as part of the COVID-19 All-of-Government Response Group on 20 March, without a lead agency assigned to have ultimate responsibility. For example, agencies involved prescribed different policies for personal protective gear for their staff. There was little government oversight of arriving passengers when they transferred through the arrival halls, with a risk of travellers meeting their family or even absconding. Some travellers found out that there is mandatory quarantine in New Zealand after they had cleared customs. There was initially little coordination with airlines, with passenger manifests provided only hours before planes arrived in New Zealand; this sometimes put strains on logistics, with last-minute decisions which hotel passengers would be sent to. The compulsory second test did sometimes not arrive in a timely manner, which meant that rooms did not become available, hindering planning for accommodating new guests.

In mid-June, Air Commodore Darryn Webb and Housing Minister Megan Woods were given joint responsibility for overseeing isolation and quarantine facilities. Woods and Webb announced a number of operational changes two days after the review was received.

From 5 October, anyone entering New Zealand will need to book a place at a Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) facility using the Government's online Managed Isolation Allocation System. On the day of its launch, Stuff reported that the Managed Isolation Allocation System's website had collapsed with numerous people reporting trouble making bookings. From 12 am on 5 November, anyone entering New Zealand will be legally required to show a voucher proving that they have secured a place in an MIQ facility before flying.

On 12 November, it was reported that MIQ guests at the Grand Millennium hotel in Auckland Central had mingled with residents of Vincent Residences after a fire alarm at the hotel on earlier in the week. Following reports of a community transmission at Vincent Residences, Director of Public Health Dr Caroline McElnay said the alarm was not the likely cause of the community transmission because the case was already asymptomatic at the time. In addition, Air Commodore Darryn Webb disputed reports that MIQ guests had mingled with Vincent Residences.

2021

On 28 January 2021, the Pullman Hotel in Central Auckland was identified as the centre of an outbreak that had seen four people test positive for a South African strain. In response, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced that the managed isolation facility would not be accepting new returnees and that remaining residents would have their stays extended. The Minister also confirmed that health authorities were investigating the causes of this new outbreak. On 29 January, a mother whose two daughters had stayed at the Pullman Hotel criticised lapses in protocols and safety including returnees mingling and playing contact sports, which she blamed for causing one of her daughters to contract COVID-19.

On 2 March 2021, the Government confirmed that it would be raising managed isolation booking fees for temporary visa holders by more than NZ$2,000 from 25 March. This price hike was criticised by the Migrant Workers Association's spokesperson Anu Kaloti and migrants residing in New Zealand with relatives overseas.

On 22 March, Radio New Zealand and The New Zealand Herald reported that the Managed Isolation and Quarantine system was receiving an average of 100 complaints a week due to lengthy wait-times; with people having to reserve rooms at least 16 weeks in advance. This has led MIQ to consider a wait-list for peak times to managed the demand for places in MIQ.

On 23 March, the New Zealand Government announced that it had raised the time needed for New Zealand permanent residents and citizens to stay in New Zealand without incurring MIQ fees from 90 days to 180 days. In addition, the Government raised the accommodation fees for temporary visa holders (including partners, spouses, legal guardians and children of returning New Zealanders) and migrant health workers ; with $950 for an additional adult in a room and $475 for a child aged 3-17 for those traveling together. If travelling separately, the temporary entry class visa holder will be charged the higher fees of $5520 for the first or only person in a room, $2990 for an additional adult, and $1610 for an additional child.

On 1 April, the Government confirmed that it would loosen rules for securing emergency spots in managed isolation; with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) stating that 100 more places in MIQ will be available each fortnight. This policy shift affects New Zealand citizens and residents applying to enter the country to see relatives with terminal illnesses and less than six months to live; citizens and residents who had travelled overseas to visit terminally ill relatives; citizens and residents of Pacific Islands countries requiring time-critical medical treatment in New Zealand that they can't receive at home; and those facing risks to their health and safety overseas.

According to statistics released by the Health Ministry in early April 2021, there have been 117 imported cases from India in managed isolation since the start of February, compared with 17 from the United States and 11 from the United Kingdom. In response to this and the rising number of cases in India, the New Zealand Government announced that it would close the border to travelers from India between 4pm on 11 April (Sunday) and 28 April. This temporary travel ban will also affect New Zealand citizens and residents traveling from India.

On 13 April, it was reported that nearly all security guards at MIQ facilities were recruited from private security firms despite the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) deciding to employ its own security force following a privacy breach in August 2020. Following a recruit drive by MBIE, it was reported that nearly 400 people had applied for 156 security officer vacancies at MIQ facilities. MBIE had also recruited 31 of 32 operations and security managers.

Managed isolation breaches and violations

On 5 July 2020, it was reported that a woman who had escaped managed isolation at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland had been apprehended and charged with breaching the 14-day isolation period under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020. The woman had arrived from Australia on 27 June.

On 8 July, a 32-year-old man, who had arrived from India, was charged with violating Section 26 (1) of the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 after he escaped managed isolation at the Stamford Plaza Hotel in central Auckland. He visited the Countdown supermarket in Victoria Street before being located by security guards after 70 minutes. After the man tested positive for COVID-19, the supermarket closed temporarily with its staff entering into self-isolation.

On 10 July, a man was arrested for violating the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 after he cut through a fence at a managed isolation facility at Distinction Hotel in Hamilton and visited a liquor store the previous night. The man had tested negative for COVID-19 and was later identified as a 52-year-old Queenstown resident, who had returned from Sydney on 1 July. On 27 August, the Hamilton District Court sentenced him to 40 hours' community service and ordered him to pay NZ$1,000 in reparations for damaging a flat screen television set in his room.

On 11 July, a man in his 60s escaped a managed isolation facility at Waipuna Hotel in Auckland and knocked on the doors of three residents outside the facility. He was subsequently picked up by police and placed under armed guard at Waipuna Hotel.

On 25 July, it was reported that authorities had detained a family of five (comprising a mother and four children aged 12, 16, 17, and 18) for breaching managed isolation at the Distinction Hotel in Hamilton. The family had arrived from Brisbane in Australia on 21 July in order to attend a relative's funeral in Auckland. While the family's application for an exemption was being processed by the Health Ministry, they had escaped by breaking a window and scaling a fence. Four members of the family were apprehended by Police in a nearby park while the 17-year old had travelled to Auckland where he was detained by Police there. Government minister Woods has criticised the family breaking the rules, stating that "while we can understand their grief we can not let one tragedy to turn into a tragedy of hundreds." Four members of the family have been charged with breaching a Health Act notice. On 28 August, the mother and her 18-year-old daughter were sentenced to 14 days imprisonment by Judge Noel Sainsbury of the Auckland District Court. The mother and her daughter's harsher sentence in comparison to a 52-year-old man in Hamilton who was sentenced to no jail time raised questions about alleged "systematic racism" in the New Zealand justice system against Māori. New Zealand Public Party leader Billy Te Kahika has advocated on behalf of the woman and her family, also claiming credit for getting her sentence reduced by seven days.

On 30 July, a 32-year-old man, who had travelled from Brisbane, was apprehended following a failed attempt to breach managed isolation at the Crowne Plaza in central Auckland. The man was charged under the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act.

On 14 October, a 22-year-old woman was charged with allegedly trying to escape from Auckland's Grand Millennium Hotel during three incidents in October 2020.

on 11 November, the West Indies cricket team were denied further training privileges after members breached managed isolation rules by mingling and sharing food while undergoing managed isolation at the "Chateau in the Park" hotel in Christchurch.

On 29 January 2021, a staff member at Auckland's Grand Millennium Hotel was dismissed after a 20-minute encounter with a returnee in managed isolation. On 7 February, the final 60 returnees at the Pullman Managed Isolation Facility completed their health checks and were released. The facility will undergo a deep clean per infection prevention and its systems will be reviewed.

On 23 February, an Australian traveller named Lucinda Baulch was released after spending 28 days in managed isolation in Wellington for refusing to take a COVID-19 test. The woman had attended an anti-lockdown protest in November 2020. National Party leader Judith Collins called for the woman to be deported back to Australia.

List of managed isolation hotels

Auckland

Hamilton

Rotorua

Wellington

Christchurch

Location of managed isolation hotels in New Zealand

The following hotels are in use, or have been used, as managed isolation facilities:

hotel name	image	Location	Comments
Crowne Plaza Auckland		Auckland
Four Points by Sheraton		Auckland
Grand Mercure Auckland		Auckland
Grand Millennium		Auckland
Haka Hotel Newmarket		Auckland	until early July
Ibis Ellerslie		Auckland
M Social		Auckland
Novotel Ellerslie		Auckland
Pullman Hotel		Auckland
Ramada Auckland		Auckland	until 1 September
Rydges Auckland		Auckland
Sebel Manukau		Auckland
SO/ Auckland		Auckland
Stamford Plaza		Auckland
Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre		Auckland
Holiday Inn Auckland Airport		Auckland Airport
Jet Park Hotel		Auckland Airport
Naumi Auckland Airport		Auckland Airport
Novotel Auckland Airport		Auckland Airport
Sudima Auckland Airport		Auckland Airport
Chateau on the Park		Christchurch
Crowne Plaza Christchurch		Christchurch	from 18 August
Distinction Christchurch Hotel		Christchurch
Commodore Hotel		Christchurch Airport
Novotel Christchurch Airport		Christchurch Airport
Sudima Christchurch Airport		Christchurch Airport
Distinction Hotel Te Rapa		Hamilton
Ibis Tainui		Hamilton
Jet Park Hotel		Hamilton
Ibis Rotorua		Rotorua
Rydges Rotorua		Rotorua
Sudima Rotorua		Rotorua
Grand Mercure		Wellington
Bay Plaza Hotel		Wellington

See also

• Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand

External links

• Managed Isolation and Quarantine, New Zealand Government.