A person who has previously tested positive for Covid-19 has been charged after they allegedly escaped a managed quarantine facility in the Auckland suburb of Ellerslie.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed that a man was taken into custody over the early morning incident at the Novotel & Ibis Hotel.
1 NEWS understands this is the second time the man had fled isolation after he allegedly left his home, where he had been isolating initially after testing positive for the virus, to go to Sylvia Park on Wednesday.
Upon return to his residence, it's understood he was then taken to the MIQ facility by police before escaping the facility.
Authorities have been approached for comment over the reports.
The man was charged under the Health Order with failing to comply with order (Covid-19). He appeared in the Auckland District Court via a contactless video link on Thursday afternoon.
A judge has bailed him to return to a managed quarantine facility.
Police said the man's family was "extremely cooperative".
Hipkins said authorities weren't yet sure about how it happened, and how much of a risk there was that the man had spread the virus.
Police said they were told about the incident at about 10.30am Thursday. Police cordoned off an Ōtāhuhu address on Harmony Avenue this afternoon, which is about 10km away from the facility.
But, Hipkins said there were suggestions the man could have left the facility before 1am, according to CCTV footage described to him. However, an exact timeline wasn't yet clear.
“There is some evidence that the person was still moving around the facility for a period of time so we don’t know exactly what time they left," he said.
He said he also wanted to know what exactly had happened and when.
Hipkins said police had told him the address was the man's "usual place of residence", and that he was arrested before 2pm.
An investigation was now underway as to how the man allegedly escaped, he said.
“Anybody leaving an MIQ facility, particularly someone who is infected with Covid-19, is something that’s utterly unacceptable.”
The Covid-19 Response Minister says an investigation is underway into the incident.
He said most of the areas people in the Ellerslie facility had access to was double-fenced. So, if a person had left the facility by climbing the fences, they would have had to scale a 1.8-metre fence then a 2-metre one.
Associate Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall told RNZ's Checkpoint the likelihood the man had mixed with the public "would have been low" because Auckland was in Alert Level 4.
"But, nonetheless, he needs to be contact traced," she said.
Joint Head of MIQ Brigadier Rose King confirmed the man, who "allegedly absconded in the early hours of the morning", had been found by police.
"We are investigating how this happened and will make more information available as we gather the facts," King said.
Police said it was working to find out what had happened.
“Police are liaising with the Ministry of Health on this matter to understand this person’s movements since he left the MIQ facility and being located in Ōtāhuhu,” Superintendent Steve Kehoe said.
“Police are working closely with our partners on where this individual will be taken and we can assure our community every precaution is being taken.”
Police involved in the incident are dressed in full PPE.
Both the Jet Park Hotel and the Novotel & Ibis, both in Auckland, are dedicated facilities for people who have tested positive for Covid-19.
Hipkins said he received "very early information" about the situation a few minutes before the 1pm press conference. No mention of the incident was made at that press conference by either the Prime Minister or the Director-General of Health.
“I did not have a conversation about the Director-General of Health. I do understand some preliminary information was provided to the Prime Minister, but I can’t make further comment beyond that," Hipkins said.
National MP Chris Bishop lodged an application in the House to ask questions of the Government about what had happened at the MIQ facility. But, this was declined by the Speaker, citing Parliament's rules.
Bishop later made a statement in which he said the Government needed to provide answers about the incident quickly.
“This is obviously a very concerning situation and will cause many people to worry about the safety and security of our critical MIQ facilities," he said.
“Three questions arise from today’s news. The first is why it took ten hours for Police to be informed of the escape. Police have confirmed the person escaped at 12.34am, but they were only told at 10.30am the next morning. Why the delay?
“The second question is at what time management at the MIQ facility knew or suspected this person had escaped. If there is a sizeable gap between the MIQ facility finding out and informing the police, then that is even more concerning."
Bishop also questioned "why the Prime Minister did not see fit to inform the public of the escape at today’s press conference".
"This is hardly the transparency expected from a Government that said it would be the most transparent government in New Zealand history, and it is hardly using the podium as the ‘Podium of Truth’ as the Prime Minister has called it before," he said.
“We need an urgent investigation into what has happened here, and the Government needs to outline quickly what will be done to make sure it doesn’t happen again."
SHARE ME