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Taxpayers spent tens of thousands of dollars providing private security to a handful of people arriving in New Zealand who were granted exemptions from Coviid-19-related border controls and allowed to isolate themselves in their homes.
Despite costly security measures, information obtained under the Official Information Law showed that at least two people violated these restrictions by entering or leaving the properties of individuals who were isolated.
Mystery surrounds why certain families were granted exemptions to isolate themselves at home, while others had to go to managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities. Almost 92,000 people have passed through the MIQ facilities since the end of March.
The Health Ministry has said that the families granted exemptions were “low risk” but declined to answer further questions about why they had been considered special cases, citing privacy.
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Health officials in Auckland, New Zealand’s main port of entry, said they provided a security detail for fewer than five households granted waivers to isolate at their homes in August and October, and five to 10 families who were granted exemptions to isolate in their homes in September.
Some households may have been counted twice in the figures because they were isolated for two calendar months.
Auckland DHB Executive Director Ailsa Claire said DHB spent an average of $ 23,710.59 per month on security personnel for people who isolate themselves at home.
Chris McKeen / Stuff
People are being tested for Covid-19 at a pop-up testing center in Victoria Park in Auckland’s CBD after news of a new community case in November. (File photo)
Neither the DHB nor the Ministry of Health provided further details, including the exact number of households or individuals who received exemptions from MIQ.
“But we can assure people that the same levels of precaution are taken to protect the rest of the community,” a ministry spokesman said.
The ministry also declined to provide further information on the two breaches involving individuals granted MIQ waivers who were allowed to isolate themselves at home, again citing privacy concerns, but confirmed that their contacts were identified, tracked and considered low risk.
ROSA WOODS / Things
The Bay Plaza Hotel has been used as a managed isolation facility in Wellington. (File photo)
After the two violations were discovered, the ministry began requiring detailed compliance plans to be approved before exemptions were granted to individuals to isolate themselves at home.
The plans included details about any necessary travel, how daily health checks would be conducted, and what would happen if a home-isolating person needed further medical treatment or violated restrictions. DHBs were notified of the exemptions.
The government’s MIQ service website listed reasons for the exemption from attending isolation facilities, including some unspecified medical conditions and “exceptional circumstances.” He stated that it was unlikely that people would be allowed to isolate themselves from their home for health or dietary reasons.
“Most situations, including health conditions and dietary requirements, can be safely handled within our facilities,” he said.
Cases that were deemed exceptional required a “strict release plan” that the person must agree to. “This includes the requirement to maintain a distance of 2 meters from other people, including family and friends, and will be closely watched by the government or security personnel,” the website’s guidelines say.
MONIQUE FORD / Things
Former US Ambassador Scott Brown and his wife were able to isolate themselves at home after a trip to the United States because the government cannot force diplomats to enter MIQ. (File photo)
Shona Meyrick, manager of Covid-19 border and managed isolation health system response, said MIQ may not be suitable for some families for “various reasons.”
In such cases, a medical health officer, usually the clinical director of your local district health board, could grant waivers to isolate you at home.
Requests for exemptions from managed isolation were considered on a case-by-case basis, Meyrick said.
“Exemptions will only be approved when there is confidence that the risk of transmission to public health is very low.”
However, this does not appear to apply to all returnees. Former US Ambassador Scott Brown was allowed to isolate himself at his Lower Hutt home after returning from a visit to the United States in August. Brown said he and his wife isolated themselves at their official residence in part to avoid being a burden to the New Zealand taxpayer.
University of Otago epidemiologist and professor Michael Baker could not comment on whether the waivers were appropriate given how little information was known about them.
“You can imagine circumstances where you may need to make exceptions for quite complex reasons.”
Supplied
Professor Michael Baker says it is important for the government to be transparent about its response to the coronavirus.
Baker said he would have expected to see more information about the exemption criteria on the ministry’s website.
“New Zealand’s response has generally been categorized as very open. That is why I think it is important that a good justification [should be] provided for these policies. “
