The Booth family Chris (left), Rachael, Enya (14), Eva (16) and Ella Booth (19) - arrived in Auckland from Rarotonga to be whisked away to an Auckland hotel for quarantine. Photo / Supplied
The Booth family Chris (left), Rachael, Enya (14), Eva (16) and Ella Booth (19) - arrived in Auckland from Rarotonga to be whisked away to an Auckland hotel for quarantine. Photo / Supplied
Recent arrivals to New Zealand are being allowed out of quarantine to catch domestic flights home to self-isolate - but it's a big logistical operation.
Police, nurses and even the armed forces are being pulled in to get people home without them infecting others.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said yesterday that every person was now being screened on arrival and symptomatic people were quarantined, while asymptomatic people were allowed to go home to self-isolate.
However those with no symptoms but without an adequate self-isolation plan would effectively be quarantined for 14 days in approved accommodation, Ardern said.
Among them were the Booth family, who arrived back in Auckland on Saturday from a holiday in Rarotonga.
The family of five had planned to fly home to Wellington but instead were bused to SO/ Auckland, a luxury waterfront hotel, for the mandatory quarantine period, mum Rachael Booth said.
They were told they would spend two weeks there - part of strict new measures introduced for the level 4 lockdown.
Last night - five days in - they had just managed to source 14 bottles of wine for the supermarket and were settling in for the rest of their stay when they were told they would be able to fly home today.
Booth's husband took their passports and was interviewed by representatives from police and the Ministry of Health regarding their self-isolation plans.
At 6am two nurses came to their door, took temperatures and made them sign various forms - though Booth admits she didn't read them properly, she was so excited about leaving.
The family arrived downstairs to find other hotel guests waiting. "Two people from the military were there just to handle our bags and put them on the bus ... Then we had to sanitise our hands which we'd been doing constantly anyway. They gave us a mask to stick on and rubber gloves, brown paper bags with our breakfast and lunch and we got on the bus."
Recently returned travellers Rachael Booth and her family were given personal protective equipment before boarding their bus to Auckland Airport this morning. Photo / Supplied
Sixteen people were on board the Booths' bus from their hotel, but when they arrived at the airport buses were arriving from other hotels.
Police were everywhere and everyone was wearing masks, she said. Their bus had to wait until the previous one was fully through check-in before they could disembark; once again their baggage was removed from the bus for them before they were checked through security in small groups.
Passengers were spread across the entire departure lounge to maintain physical distance. On the plane, "people were on the windows and aisles only, with about 30-something rows, and it was chockablock".
The Booths have been told nothing about why they were allowed to leave the hotel early, she said. "We've got no idea at all."
Arriving in Wellington they were drip-fed through the terminal to get their bags and leave before picking up their car from long-term parking. Booth was surprised to see Customs people were not wearing masks.
Police have told the family they will be visited by officers within 72 hours to check they are still at home.
Ella (left), Eva and Enya arrive home in Wellington after their quarantine in an Auckland hotel was cut short. Photo / Supplied
The Herald has asked the Ministry of Health how many Kiwis are being housed in luxury hotels and what criteria is used to assess who is quarantined where, as well as why they were allowed out today.
To be suitable self-isolation must be within five hours' drive of the airport, must not have any at-risk people such as over-70s staying there, and must be reached by private transport. Connecting domestic flights are not allowed.
If passengers have no suitable plan in place for self-isolation, they will be taken directly from the airport to local low-level quarantine accommodation, which has been "approved for isolation for 14 days", the MoH website says.
"If passengers are placed in managed accommodation for the 14-day low-level quarantine isolation period, further information will be provided on what will happen after that, including planned transport through domestic flights."
If a passenger is symptomatic on arrival, they will be tested and placed in an approved isolation facility for 14 days.
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People with symptoms are being quarantined in special facilities and are not allowed to leave.
At last count yesterdaythere were 115 people in quarantine and 1489 in approved accommodation, according to the Ministry of Health.
Since the coronavirus lockdown came into force, new rules mean anyone returning to the country needs to self-isolate for two weeks.
As of Wednesday, 1604 people had been housed in managed isolation or quarantine facilities throughout New Zealand, the Ministry of Health said.
The majority, 1457 people, had been placed in managed isolation in Auckland.
Meanwhile, nearly 60 people flew from Auckland to either Wellington or Christchurch on Wednesday after returning from overseas after entry restrictions were imposed.
All had their health checked before taking off and were required to self-isolate after landing.
