Rotorua managed isolation facility wellness navigator Lucia Diez (left), nursing team leader Annemarie Gallagher and Watchdog Security representative Tama Te Pou. Photo / Supplied
Rotorua managed isolation facility wellness navigator Lucia Diez (left), nursing team leader Annemarie Gallagher and Watchdog Security representative Tama Te Pou. Photo / Supplied
Former ICU nurse Annemarie Gallagher came out of early retirement when the pandemic hit our shores last year.
Today, she says working as the nursing team leader at one of the managed isolation (MIF) facilities in Rotorua is the most challenging, yet rewarding, job she's ever had.
Rotorua has three MIF facilities - Rydges, Ibis and Sudima hotels, with about 500 staff from all walks of life welcoming people home, while keeping the community safe.
"Forget about the hotels you've stayed at in the past," Gallagher said.
"It's another world within Rotorua's MIF facilities, where guests are greeted by people in head-to-toe PPE [personal protective equipment] and where mask-wearing, Covid-19 swabbing, social distancing and hand sanitising is mandatory."
Rotorua's managed isolation facilities can hold between 500 to 600 people at any one time - double the size of Rotorua Hospital's capacity.
"At times, it can feel just like a hospital too, as regardless of Covid-19, people can have all sorts of other health and wellbeing needs.
"We've had everything from heart attacks and strokes, through to providing perinatal care. But medical events are normal when you're staying in one place for two weeks.
Rotorua's Sudima Hotel, a managed isolation facility. Photo / File
"It can also be an emotional time. People are travelling for all sorts of reasons, such as being near loved ones when they're ill. Sometimes the unfortunate happens and loved ones pass away before they've been able to complete their stay - this is the really tough part of the job."
Gallagher said everyone in the facilities worked as a tight unit and took their jobs "extremely seriously".
"There is a literal army of cooks, cleaners, Defence Force personnel, security guards, medical staff and wellbeing navigators, all there to provide a crucial service to the returnees and the Rotorua community.
"I understand I play a key role in keeping the community, my family and the wider team of five million safe and with the protocols in place I feel safe coming home to my family at the end of each day."
Security guard John Tai agreed that a public perception that isolation is some sort of luxury stay at a hotel needed to change.
"It feels like we're in Level 4 Lockdown in the facilities, but the culture within is positive, with people looking out for each other's wellbeing.
"I lead a team of security guards and make sure they're alert and taking care of the facility and its guests.
"We all follow strict protocols of mask-wearing, social distancing, hand sanitising and frequent Covid-19 swabbing.
"Personally, the job has given me a lot of new experiences. I used to work in forestry, but lost my job at the start of the pandemic. As stressful as it was, it was a blessing in disguise as this is the best job I've ever had; I'm able to provide for my family, and it's much easier physically."
Rydges Rotorua being used for isolation of returning citizens. Photo / File
Wellness navigator Lucia Diez, who works across all three facilities, said she understood the whole process could seem a bit secretive if you weren't involved in it.
"Most of my work is over the phone, checking in with guests to see if they need help settling into New Zealand and connecting the dots between their needs and the right organisation or person to help," she said.
"People often don't have all the answers on arrival, so I help them find financial assistance, healthcare providers or community groups that can help support their onward travels.
"Some guests require little or no support, where others may need a lot, especially if English is not their first language. Every day is different and I'm always coming up against a new problem to help navigate, which is what I love about my role."
Diez said it was important for people to remember that returnees have the right to come home.
"The role of the MIF and those working in it is to support returnees while keeping ourselves, our families, our community and the rest of New Zealand safe."
