MIQ spaces available, but separated families said rooms were reserved for now

By Gill Bonnett of RNZ

Managed isolation planning is under fire after figures show there are still more than 1,000 vacant spots, while returning New Zealanders and separated families say they are told there is no room at the inn.

As of Tuesday this week, there were 1,067 empty spaces in managed isolation.

In the last fortnight, the lowest number of vacancies on any day was 497. In the next week, projected vacancies based on ticket sales and reserved coupons do not drop below 600.

There are 6261 isolation places managed in total and another 1014 rooms for people are used for quarantine, emergency contingencies, deportees, sailors and air crews. The average occupancy for the next fortnight is 5190.

The chairman of the New Zealand Initiative thinktank, Roger Partridge, said the vacancies were embarrassing when so many people clamor for places, including New Zealanders returning for a family Christmas.

“My impression is that officials are more interested in being ‘in control’ than meeting the needs of New Zealand’s families, businesses and workers. This will have long-term adverse effects on employment and well-being,” he said Partridge.

“Aside from the human tragedy behind the empty beds, the feedback from the business community is on projects stalling, critical roles left unfilled, and business suffering as a result.”

Ask if officials are held accountable for unused capacity.

This same week, the immigration minister cited limitations on managed isolation (MIQ) as a reason for the narrow border waivers.

Hutt Valley High School teacher Cameron Conradie is apart from his wife Tanya, also a teacher, and their 13-year-old son Aidan, as they are still in South Africa and their visas are not processed during the border closure. .

He has used his skills as a math teacher to analyze the MIQ statistics.

“Each vacancy represents a humanitarian tragedy for divided families and people separated from their jobs and possessions,” Conradie said.

“Facilities should be used at their designed capacity to achieve maximum efficiency,” he said.

“If we have to wait for the border to open and visa processing for overseas applicants finally resumes so that we know if my family will ever be allowed into New Zealand, the personal costs and mental strain can just being too tall.

“If we cannot meet in New Zealand soon, there are only two options: continue to live as a divided family unit, with oceans separated for an indeterminate period of time at great financial cost and to our relationships and family ties. Or to give up settling down in New Zealand and trying to recover the pieces of our damaged lives in South Africa.

“This means that New Zealand will lose the service of two experienced teachers who have made every compromise possible. It also means that our sacrifices will have been in vain.”

MBIE Response

When asked how many people had not used their MIQ coupons, MBIE said in a written response that it does not collect that number, but believes it is not significant given that the number of arrivals remains high.

People who find they don’t need to use their MIQ coupons due to a change in travel plans should return them by canceling their reservation on the MIAS website so that others can use them, MBIE said.

MBIE said it has transitioned to a new data platform that will allow it to better forecast arrival numbers and manage the flow of returnees.

He said the 600 vacancy figure is not an accurate reflection of what is happening in isolation facilities.

MBIE said its room capacity is 4,500, which translates to 6,261 people, but the number of spots available to people will vary based on factors such as whether families or groups are isolated together (meaning more rooms are available ) and exactly how long a person stays. It will vary based on your arrival time (for example, an arrival at 1am versus 11pm).

More individuals means less capacity, he said.

“This means that we may be operating close to the capacity of our room, but it seems that we have to have space available depending on the number of people.”

– RNZ