Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said in a meeting the Sudima hotel would remain as an MIQ facility. Photo / NZME
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said in a meeting the Sudima hotel would remain as an MIQ facility. Photo / NZME
Rotorua's mayor has told a public meeting only one of Rotorua's three MIQ hotels will continue to be used for that purpose.
During the Rotorua Lakes Council strategy, policy and finance committee meeting yesterday, mayor Steve Chadwick said she was told by the chief of staff, who led MIQ,that "the only MIQ that is going to remain open here is the Sudima".
Sudima Rotorua is the largest of the city's three managed isolation facilities.
Minister for the Covid-19 Response Chris Hipkins announced the same day that 28 of the 32 nation-wide MIQ facilities would return to being hotels by the end of June, scaling down managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) as international travel starts back up.
Rydges Rotorua will no longer be used as MIQ. Photo / NZME
Asked by the Rotorua Daily Post what the announcement meant for the future of Rotorua's three facilities, the head of MIQ told the Rotorua Daily Post no decisions had been made.
Across Rotorua's three facilities were 535 spots for returnees; 227 in Sudima, 134 in Ibis and 124 in Rydges hotels.
Rotorua Sudima and Ibis hotels became managed isolation facilities in June 2020 and Rotorua Rydges began a month later.
Rotorua Economic Development chief executive Andrew Wilson told the Rotorua Daily Post previously that the facilities have been good for the city, providing income for the properties, employment, and business for local food and beverage providers.
He said the available rooms will be "especially beneficial" once self-isolation requirements for visitors come to an end.
Sudima Rotorua will remain an MIQ facility. Photo / NZME
Yesterday head of MIQ Chris Bunny told the Rotorua Daily Post there had been no decision about which four of the 32 hotels would continue to provide MIQ services through to December.
Bunny said there were about 400 rostered staff from Rotorua and other locations working across Rotorua's three facilities over three shifts each day.
He said the basic footprint for each facility was one police officer, eight Defence Force personnel, six security officers, six health staff, 20 hotel staff and six in other roles per shift.
He did not say how many police, health staff and defence workers in the city had returned their usual roles.
Nationwide, more than 300 healthcare workers and 230 police have returned to frontline duties, while more than 600 defence personnel will now return to their units.
Bunny said all facilities will have a 90-day decommissioning process which "will be flexible so hotels can return to tourism operations before the end of this 90 days if they choose".
Ibis Rotorua will no longer be used for MIQ. Photo / NZME
He said the process will be important to allow hotels to re-enter the market following remediation or refurbishment.
He declined to say when individual contracts would end on the grounds of commercial sensitivity.
Bunny said the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and other employers will be discussing options with the workers soon.
