Confining returnees to their room for 14-day stay considered and rejected

The Director General of Health says they aren’t considering keeping people in their rooms, after an infected person travelled on a bus to an exercise spot.

Keeping managed isolation returnees confined in their rooms for the full 14-day stay was considered by the Government, but mental health implications, the importance of exercise and fresh air and the ability to manage risk of Covid spread are the reasons the idea was quashed.  

Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said confining people to their room for 14 days "does not completely eliminate risk of infection inside the facilities, as we've seen across the Tasman".

"We are picking up the vast majority of Covid-19 cases at day zero testing, which ensures returnees to stay in their rooms until the result is back."

A full 14-day confinement was considered first during the Pullman incident, where multiple returnees tested positive for Covid-19 after leaving. Confinement was used as a temporary measure after day 12 test. 

Dr Bloomfield said they did not think a 14-day confinement was necessary. 

"At this point, we think we've got the balance right."

He said mental health implication of keeping someone confined in a room for 14 days was a "key consideration". 

Quarantine Brigadier Jim Bliss said the ability exercise and fresh air was "really important". 

Bliss said an investigation was launched after returnees shared a bus to an exercise facility with a positive Covid-19 case, with 14 people now having their stay extended another 14 days. 

Bliss also put a 24-hour pause on the busing of returnees to MIQ walks. There are four hotels in Auckland where returnees must be bussed to the exercise area. 

"This will allow staff the opportunity to review their processes and ensure the protocols are appropriate," Bliss said. 

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