Time to look at our quarantine hotel contingency plan

The minister in charge of managed isolation, Megan Woods, told RNZ’s Morning Report: “At the moment we have 75 rooms available in Jet Park and 100 extra that could be brought on. We’ve certainly got capacity.”

A written response from MBIE’s spokesperson to Newsroom’s query about plans if Jet Park Hotel reached capacity didn’t mention the extra 100 rooms: “We are always working to align capacity with demand and are always looking at what requirements will be necessary to safely accommodate future arrivals.”

The spokesperson said setting up a new quarantine facility would take work. 

“Managing more than one quarantine facility will require a significant multi-agency response to ensure the health and safety of the returnees and facility staff. This will involve central and local government officials, along with NZDF, police and security representatives working together to manage the facilities and provide health and wellbeing support, security and assistance to guests, hotel staff and other government agency personnel.”

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Coronavirus: All New Zealand’s confirmed COVID-19 cases to be put in quarantine facilities from now on

All confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand will be placed quarantine facilities from now on.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced the change at a press conference on Thursday, moments after revealing there are 13 new cases of coronavirus linked to an outbreak in south Auckland.

The use of quarantine facilities marks a major departure from how positive cases were managed by health officials when New Zealand was last at level 3, as cases earlier in the year were told to simply self-isolate in their homes.

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New Zealand Says It Will Put All New COVID Infectees and Their Family Members in “Quarantine Facilities”

Authorities in New Zealand have said that they will put all new coronavirus infectees and their close family members in “quarantine facilities.”

The new measure was announced by Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield during a press conference yesterday.

“All cases, confirmed cases, are to be managed in quarantine facilities,” said Bloomfield, adding that the move showed “how serious we are about limiting any risk of ongoing transmission – even in self-isolation and including to others in the household.”

“This will apply to any cases and also to close family members who might be at risk,” said Bloomfield.

In a separate video, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made it clear that anyone in the quarantine facility who refused to take a coronavirus test would simply be held there for at least 14 days.

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