Covid 19 coronavirus: Epidemiologists propose partial home quarantine for travellers entering New Zealand

A group of top epidemiologists are suggesting that people arriving from places with a low Covid-19 risk spend part of their quarantine at home.

It is one of several recommendations the scientists - Professor Nick Wilson, Dr Jennifer Summers, Dr Amanda Kvalsvig and Professor Michael Baker - claim could strengthen the country's response to Covid-19.

The group says: "The latest scientific evidence for viral excretion should be reviewed to re-evaluate the optimal time in these facilities. The current 14-day period could then potentially be reduced for those who are willing to have some home quarantine with appropriate safeguards ... another week in home quarantine after leaving MIQ facilities could be considered.

"This period could also involve digital technologies to ensure adherence as used in some Asian jurisdictions. For example, Taiwan is able to closely monitor individuals quarantined at home through personal phones or government-provided phones."

Other suggestions include considering suspending travel from high-risk countries, pre-travel testing and quarantine for incoming travellers and changing MIQ facilities.

Wilson, a public health expert from the University of Otago, told Morning Report: "We did a systematic look at all the different aspects of border control and one of these is to look at the countries people are arriving from and potentially put bans in place for countries with uncontrolled spread such as the US, UK, India, Russia and so on.

Professor Nick Wilson. Photo / RNZ

"In contrast to that, we could actually stratify countries which are very low risk and these could be places like Australia, Taiwan, Pacific Islands. And for those places, people could have a different type of quarantine arrangement.

"Maybe a week in a proper facility and maybe a week or two in home quarantine where they have more freedoms but also with digital technology to ensure they adhere to quarantine...

"There's a cost benefit of having more people use home quarantine and the evidence so far ... is that it can be done at quite a safe level.

"But it would still need to be done extremely carefully and it should in our view be backed up by other things to reduce the risk at the border such as pre-flight testing, actually redesigning some of our quarantine facilities ... maybe even moving quarantine facilities out of Auckland to reduce the risk of outbreaks spreading into the Auckland community, our biggest city."

Taiwan also used hefty fines to enforce the need to remain at home during quarantine, he said.

"There could also be screening systems so people who are not thought to be suitable for this type of home quarantine arrangement - if they have no suitable place to go to, or there has been difficulties with them."