A woman is likely to be charged after allegedly escaping from a managed isolation facility in Auckland, before trying to escape again this morning.
The woman was caught this morning at around 1am by on-site security as she tried to leave the Grand Millennium Hotel through a fire exit, said Air Commodore Darryn Webb, head of Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ).
Police say it was then discovered she had absconded the day before as well, leaving at around 1.07am and coming back at 3.09am.
She was seen on CCTV walking around the inner city in that two-hour window, Webb says.
"Normally all fire exits that are not able to be monitored by CCTV or that are not alarmed are monitored by security guards stationed near them," he said.
"Unfortunately a local decision was taken which meant that those guards were elsewhere on that evening."
The woman tested negative for Covid-19 this morning.
Webb says he's confident there are strong security measures in place but says the managed isolation hotels "are not prisons".
"This individual has wilfully absconded once, and then attempted to repeat this the following night when she was caught by security," he said.
"There are rules in place for every single returnee and we expect people to follow these during their 14-day stay in managed isolation. This is so they can return to the community safely, while ensuring the safety of all New Zealanders."
Webb says an investigation is underway and "police charges are likely" after the incident.
The woman had arrived from Dubai on Wednesday, testing negative for Covid-19 before her flight. Her next test is scheduled for tomorrow as part of the regular day 3 testing.
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