A returnee in managed isolation at the Pullman Hotel believes the system is robust and well policed, with guests restricted to their rooms unless they're sporting a wristband that shows they've tested negative for Covid-19.
The latest community case of the virus is a Northland woman who left managed isolation at the same Auckland hotel after testing negative, but subsequently became ill and is now confirmed to have the South African variant of Covid-19.
Health officials believe she caught it from another guest at the isolation facility.
Tenani French flew home from the United States last Monday. He was taken by bus to the Pullman Hotel with people from his flight, masked up and separated from the driver by a plastic divider. He arrived when day zero testing was introduced.
"We were all socially distanced in the line, everyone had to wear the masks that were provided to us. We got given a barcode to track the test results," he told RNZ.
"Once we actually got the tests, we were sent back to our rooms and we weren't allowed to leave under any circumstances until the test results had come back, which was about 24 hours later. When we did get test results texted to us, we still had to remain in the room until we got a wristband.
"A nurse would go around to everyone who had got a negative test. They'd do a temperature check at the room, and then they'd give us a wristband which would let us leave the room to go to the exercise area."
French said the wearing of wristbands was policed carefully.
"Once I forgot to put my wristband on before I left my room. Before I even got to the elevator a staff member basically yelled at me to go back to my room and put it on. So they're pretty on to it, and I haven't seen anybody else walking around who doesn't have one."
Guests appear to have been compliant with the strict rules, he said.
"I haven't seen a single person lower their mask at all or take it off. Everyone's been very cognisant about social distancing. It's as if we actually have a bubble around us, people are walking around other people.
"There are not a lot of times where we're close enough to anyone for it to be an issue. I think the main congestion point is the elevator lobby. And they've got a staff member there who's watching it, there are stickers on the ground of where you're supposed to stand. You've got to sanitise before and after using the elevator."
French said the lift was not cleaned after each use though. "They've got a sanitising station on each floor, so you have to sanitise before you press the button, and then again when you get to the ground floor after you get out of the lift."
Security outside the Pullman Hotel. Photo / Peter Meecham
Separation of different groups of guests arriving at the hotel appeared to be effective, he said.
"What we've noticed is they'll post the hours for the lobby and for the exercise area in each of the floors' elevator bays, and they'll close both of those areas if there's a new busload of people coming in.
"So we can't go to the lobby or to the exercise area when there's new people being checked in. They keep it quite separate, the new arrivals are very separate from us.
"The time that they gave us to leave next week was quite early in the morning, which is actually before the exercise area opens. I'm not sure if that's intentional to try and keep the two groups separate."
French said initially they had not heard anything from the facility's management regarding the new Covid-19 case in Northland but learned of it when watching the news.
"For the most part it feels very safe and very well-run. I will say it does make sense to perhaps require people to isolate between their final tests and leaving.
"I think that makes a lot of sense because there are times where you just happen to pass someone in the hallway or outside in the recreation area.
"That would probably be the only thing that I would think needs to be addressed and probably should be addressed.
"Another thing I would say is there's no QR codes or tracer app usage inside MIQ [managed isolation and quarantine], which I think might be a good idea to maybe help them track people but at least help build good behaviour for us once we get out.
"People who leave the facilities are the highest risk people in the community, so it would be good to build that usage in while we're in here."
The Ministry of Health on Monday confirmed the new Covid-19 community case has been traced to another MIQ guest at the Pullman Hotel, and it is looking at the possibility of transmission through the ventilation system.
French said that was a worry. "We've had the windows open the whole time trying to get some circulation through and some fresh air. It's good that we do have opening windows, but it is definitely a concern."
Community choir collective, Everybody Sings, perform carols to those in managed isolation at the Pullman Hotel on Christmas Eve last year. Photo / Michael Craig
Returnee describes different MIQ experience in November
On the other hand, microbiologist Duncan McMillan - who spent 14 days in isolation in the Novotel at Auckland Airport in November - told RNZ his experience in November was different.
McMillan said he thought it would only be a matter of time before someone would transmit the virus within MIQ.
"One of the things that makes me say that is immediately after exiting the plane I noticed that social distancing really wasn't happening, it was getting more and more crowded as you got to the bus."
He also claims his room didn't seem to be clean, and that cleaning should be done at a hospital level grade to stop transmission of the virus.
"I had some facial hair around the bathroom and there was a used milk carton in the fridge and that's when I started to have a look a lot more closely at what was going on. It really wasn't my intention to go there and do an audit, but I felt compelled after seeing these fairly obvious problems."
He said he was pushed to write a letter to the Minister in Charge of Covid-19 Response after an incident in which he saw newly arrived guests in the same general exercise or rest area as those who were nearly done with their isolation period.
"That for me presents a big problem because throughout the stay there I didn't see frequent washing of the lift buttons and that's the immediate contact point between people."
However, that was before the day one or day zero testing was introduced. With this requirement, those having that test are not allowed to leave their room before returning a negative result.
McMillan said that in his view people should stay in their rooms for the first three to five days.
"I've been through MIQ, I know it's not an easy thing to do for anybody ... but I do wonder if this is the best way to prevent spread."
However, he said MIQ changes that have taken place since November may have made a difference to what he had experienced.
In an interview with RNZ, director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the system could never be 100 per cent failsafe but he has full confidence in it.
