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The leak occurred at the Grand Millennium in Auckland’s CBD.
A woman escaped from a managed isolation facility in Auckland via a fire escape and wandered through the city center for about two hours.
But no one found out until he tried to escape again the following night.
On Friday morning at around 1 a.m., security at the Grand Millennium hotel site stopped the woman trying to escape through an emergency exit, said a statement from Air Commodore Darryn Webb, chief of managed isolation and quarantine.
Police spoke with the woman who revealed that she had escaped the night before. He had left the hotel, in Auckland’s financial district, around 1.07am and returned around 3.09am.
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The woman, who had arrived from Dubai on October 7, was caught on CCTV walking through the city center.
An investigation into his escape is underway and charges are likely to be filed.
Webb said the woman was able to escape because security guards who were normally posted near the fire exit were elsewhere on October 7.
That was due to a “local decision,” he said.
Emergency exits that cannot be monitored by CCTV or that are not alarmed are normally monitored by security guards posted near them, he said.
The woman was examined on Friday morning after her escape and the result was negative.
He also tested negative on October 1 in a pre-flight test and received clearance to fly.
His next test is scheduled for Saturday, which will coincide with his routine test on day three.
Webb said the test was “reassuring” before arrival and on Friday it was negative and the woman did not have any symptoms of Covid-19.
He said police and staff who came into contact with the woman followed standard Covid-19 procedures.
However, public health officials are still investigating.
Security guards are now stationed outside of the woman’s room permanently to ensure she remains on the premises.
“These incidents are rare, but we treat them extremely seriously,” Webb said.
“While I am sure we have strong security measures in place, these hotels are not prisons and this person intentionally escaped once, and then tried to repeat this the following night when he was caught by security.”
Nearly 60,000 people have gone through isolation and managed quarantine, Webb said.
There have only been 10 incidents involving 14 people fleeing controlled isolation.
