Covid 19 coronavirus: Support for Covid vaccination grows - poll

More than half of New Zealanders now say they will "definitely" get vaccinated against Covid-19 when they get the chance.

A One News Colmar Brunton poll shows that the proportion who will "definitely" get vaccinated has risen from 44 per cent in September and 45 per cent in December to 52 per cent this month.

A further 24 per cent will "probably" get vaccinated (down 7 points), so the number saying they will definitely or probably get vaccinated has stayed the same at 76 per cent.

But only 10 per cent now say they will "probably not", and only 6 per cent will "definitely not", get vaccinated - down from 13 per cent probably not and 9 per cent definitely not planning to get vaccinated in the December poll.

Otago University epidemiologist Professor Nick Wilson told One News the numbers suggested New Zealand would have "a good chance of getting herd immunity".

There is no agreement on what percentage of the population would need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, but director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has suggested a figure of 70 per cent.

The poll also asked people whether they agree that purpose-built facilities should be built for managed isolation and quarantine away from main cities.

The result was split almost equally: 45 per cent in favour and 48 per cent against.

Chris Hipkins: "It would take a long time to build, would be very expensive, and by the time we did it we probably wouldn't need it any more." Photo / Mark Mitchell

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told One News: "People should think through the practicalities. It would take a long time to build, would be very expensive, and by the time we did it we probably wouldn't need it any more."

The current system provides 4500 MIQ rooms in hotels in Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua, Wellington and Christchurch.

Yesterday there were 5257 people in managed isolation and 99 in quarantine, with 4118 of the 4500 rooms occupied. Other rooms were being cleaned or held for incoming flights.

All passengers entering New Zealand from any country except the Cook Islands must have an MIQ voucher.

The online booking portal shows that there are currently no vouchers available to enter the country on any date until May 22.

MIQ is taxpayer-funded and free for NZ residents who have not left NZ since the system came into force on August 11 and are coming home to stay for at least 90 days.

Anyone else has to pay a fee of $3100 for a single adult, with different rates for subsequent adults and children sharing a room.

The fee will increase to $5520 from next week (March 25) for people entering on temporary visas such as work, student and visitor visas.

People in New Zealand who want to bring family members in on temporary visas have said the fee increase will be "crippling".

Wellington Hospital nurse Mohamed Elfaloumy said he would now have to pay $10,000 to bring in his wife and children when they are allowed - but they are not allowed in anyway because Elfaloumy came in before the border closed to all non-New Zealanders on March 19 last year.

British business development manager Chris Heden is waiting for his wife to be allowed back into New Zealand. Her temporary visa expired after she was shut out from New Zealand when the country plunged into lockdown.

"The message of being kind is sort of lost on me. We've been shown no kindness at this moment," he said.

Some families split by the ban on non-New Zealanders entering since last March said they were angry when 126 foreign workers were granted temporary visas for a stage production of The Lion King this week.

Desmond Naidoo (left) is trying to bring his wife Cindy and two children into NZ. Photo / Supplied

Auckland data manager Desmond Naidoo, who has been waiting 15 months to bring in his wife and two children from South Africa, said the exemptions granted for The Lion King "make me feel unwanted, like I'm being used, that what I'm doing here - I'm about to launch a product on the international market - doesn't seem important to the NZ Government".

Tauranga hospital technician Steven Berrington, who is waiting for his wife and son to join him also from South Africa, said: "It makes us crazy, mad and upset."

Tauranga Hospital technician Steven Berrington is trying to get his wife Wendy into the country. Photo / Supplied

Migrant workers granted a border exception to come to New Zealand can bring family members with them under the Covid border rules put in place in June last year.

But those who were here before the borders closed cannot - even if family members overseas had previously been granted entry before the pandemic hit.