An employee at a quarantined hotel in New Zealand was fired after what the authorities described as an improper encounter with a person who was supposed to be isolating.
Officials say the pair shared notes, including writing on a mask, before spending 20 minutes together in a room.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said it was “unacceptable”.
People returning to New Zealand must spend at least 14 days in isolation.
The country has been hailed as one of the world leaders in containing the virus. It has recorded 25 deaths since the pandemic began.
Earlier this week, she reported her first case of Covid-19 outside quarantine facilities in more than two months.
Speaking at a news conference on Friday, Hipkins said he was informed of the incident at the Auckland hotel shortly after what happened earlier this month and called for a “thorough investigation”.
“I didn’t ask specifically about the nature of the meeting, but the fact that it was a 20-minute meeting was long enough for me to be unacceptable,” he said.
He added that the employee brought a bottle of wine into the room.
“We are dealing with human beings … I cannot control the actions of each individual, but we make it absolutely clear what the rules are,” he said.
The minister added that he was confident that it was an “isolated and isolated incident”.
Brigadier Jim Bliss, head of the isolation and quarantine sector, said the employee was sent home and said to isolate himself after the incident, and was later fired. The returning traveler received a formal written warning from the police, according to reports.
Both returned negative Covid-19 tests before and after the incident.
Brig Bliss said the two people’s actions – which were not publicly disclosed – were “incredibly irresponsible and extremely disappointing”.