Security at the Novotel Ibis MIQ facility in Ellerslie. Photo / Dean Purcell
Security at the Novotel Ibis MIQ facility in Ellerslie. Photo / Dean Purcell
A woman who had a highly visible meltdown over her family's meal in MIQ says she regrets nothing and would do it all over again.
MIQ officials transferred a family with Covid-19 to a different isolation facility after the woman, angry about her children's meal, had a meltdown at the Novotel & Ibis Ellerslie hotel- leaving her room against regulation, screaming profanities at staff and military personnel, throwing an item against the wall in the hotel lobby and appearing to climb over the reception desk.
"I did it at the time for my kids but I would do it for your kids," she said in a Facebook Live post this morning.
A woman who had a highly visible meltdown over her family's meal in MIQ says she regrets nothing and would do it all over again. Photo / Supplied
The woman's son is also celebrating his fifth birthday today.
"I never knew that the world could be so cruel. I'm just crying cause I woke up to all that negative s***. And it's my son's fifth birthday today. I just want to celebrate his birthday without having to cry.
"For my people I will fight. If yous aren't gonna stand up for your own babies then yous have a different type of virus.
"The only f*ing virus that is going round here is the Delta variant virus. Not us Polynesians, we ain't a f***ing virus."
The woman said ever since that day at Novotel, she has been having trouble sleeping.
"I never expected for my s*** to blow up like that. I never expected any of this," she said.
She said she posted the live video for her family to see how they were being treated.
"I just want everyone to know there's real virus sh*t we are dealing with. Use your negativity on the virus. Don't use it on what I did for my kids. Any mother would do that.
"I would do it again and again and again. I told the cops that."
The Herald reported yesterday the confrontation, which she broadcast live on Facebook in a video she titled "**** yous Novotel", has been viewed widely since it was posted on Wednesday afternoon.
"I called you to tell you we got f***ing pizza that's already eaten - given to my f***ing kids," the mother yelled moments later in the lobby, as she pounded on the door to the hotel office - demanding a woman who had talked to her earlier on the phone come out.
"You really f***ing done it now. F***ing got your f***ing s****y pizza."
In a statement to the Herald, Joint Head of MIQ, Brigadier Rose King estimated that pizzas were delivered to the family at about 3pm
"We have assurance that the food could not have been delivered incomplete," King said. "The most likely scenario is that the pizza became cosmetically damaged during the delivery process.
"Workers at our facilities do their very best to ensure that people's needs are met, however, sometimes things don't go perfectly and we apologise for that."
King described the woman as having been abusive over the phone over "staff attempts to reason with her". Her decision to then leave the room and confront staff - despite having tested positive for Covid-19 - has resulted in some now having to isolate "due to the high-risk bubble breach" and other staff not returning to work today over fears for their safety, she said.
"I understand that being in quarantine, especially with children, can be very stressful, even more so for New Zealanders who never expected to be in that situation.
"Abuse towards anyone, however, is not acceptable."
