The 32-year-old man who escaped his isolation hotel and went to an Auckland supermarket says he is "stressed" following the incident and subsequent attention.
The man slipped through a gap in the fence at the Stamford Plaza and went to Countdown on Victoria Street West, reportedly to to buy toiletries.
He also took selfies in the aisle and made phone calls using free wi-fi before returning to the hotel and waiting for police.
He tested positive for Covid-19 yesterday morning and is now facing charges, while the supermarket has been closed for cleaning and several people, including staff, are in isolation.
The man, speaking with the NZ Herald over the phone, reportedly said he felt "totally healthy and fine" and questioned his diagnosis, saying he had been given "no evidence" of actually having the virus.
He would not say why he left the hotel, what he did during the time he was away, or what he thought of being charged.
When asked why he thought it was OK to leave the hotel, he reportedly said "no one told me anything".
He told the Herald that even people with Covid-19 are human, saying, "We are also people," but he didn't respond to questions about whether he thought he had put the public at risk by leaving the hotel.
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