Arrivals are being quarantined in managed isolation at the Auckland Airport Novotel Hotel near the Auckland International Airport. Photo / Dean Purcell, file
Arrivals are being quarantined in managed isolation at the Auckland Airport Novotel Hotel near the Auckland International Airport. Photo / Dean Purcell, file
An Oamaru man quarantined in an Auckland hotel says he has not been tested for Covid-19 after a week in managed isolation.
The man, who wished to remain anonymous, said the policy of testing all arrivals to the country on days three and 12 of their isolation had clearly notbeen followed.
He was also concerned about conditions at the Novotel Auckland Airport, where he was spending his mandatory 14-day managed isolation after returning to New Zealand from the United States last week.
He said the public was able to easily enter the hotel and there was no requirement to wear a mask.
He was also concerned about the risk of the infection spreading because people were at different stages of quarantine, and not separated based on that.
"I've been here for [seven] days and not had a single test, and anyone from the general public is allowed to walk through our outdoor area," he said.
The man also had concerns about social distancing and contact tracing on his flight from Los Angeles to Auckland.
Passengers were bunched together despite the flight not being full.
He was seated next to a couple and when he asked if he could move to an empty row instead, he was told to wait until everyone had boarded before doing so.
"It was just ridiculous," he said.
He felt the Government was not meeting the public's expectations and there was a need for tighter security at managed isolation facilities.
"People could just disappear for a few hours, if they really wanted to, and probably get away with it."
Everyone was asked to maintain a 2m distance from others at the hotel, but it was not enforced, he said.
"I've just been keeping my distance, wearing my mask, because I don't want to be in here much longer than two weeks if I don't have to be," he said.
A lot of staff members and nurses did not wear masks at all, or wore them around their necks or under their noses, he said.
The man said each day his temperature was checked and he was asked health questions by nurses.
Anyone showing symptoms of Covid-19 was taken to a different quarantine facility, he said.
"We're meant to be all low risk, but if they're not testing you don't know who's low risk or not."
When news broke of two new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand this week, guests were told they would need to return a negative test before being able to leave after two weeks.
"They kept 50-odd people from leaving today, when they were supposed to, due to them either not having a test yet or their results had not returned in time," he said.
Until then, he understood the Covid-19 tests were voluntary, which surprised him.
Because of the uncertainty concerning timing of test results, he had not booked a flight home to the South Island.
"You don't know if you're actually going to get out on that day, which is frustrating because the airline tickets are getting quite expensive now," he said.
He was offered the opportunity to move to a managed isolation facility in Christchurch, but chose to remain in Auckland.
