WELLINGTON, New Zealand – The woman who took a flight back to New Zealand was to avoid all physical contact with other people for 14 days while in mandatory quarantine. The man who worked at the quarantined hotel should be the last line of defense.
But the two began to pass notes to each other, including one written on the back of a face mask. Then she ordered a bottle of wine, which he delivered to his room. When he did not return 20 minutes later, a security manager sent to investigate found the two together in what the authorities are describing as an improper encounter, in which the physical distance has not been maintained.
The incident earlier this month, which surfaced on Friday, highlighted a very human weakness in New Zealand’s coronavirus elimination procedures in a country that has stopped the spread of the virus by the community. It is similar to the lapses in Australia that may have contributed to a major outbreak last year in Melbourne.
“We are dealing with human beings,” said Covid-19 Minister of Response Chris Hipkins. “We ask everyone to follow the standards we have set. I cannot control the actions of each individual. “
Hipkins said the pair’s behavior was totally unacceptable and he called for a full investigation.
Brigadier Jim Bliss, head of the isolation and quarantine sector, said the worker was immediately sent home and advised to isolate himself. He was later fired. The returning traveler, in turn, received a formal written warning from the police. Authorities breathed a sigh of relief after they both returned negative coronavirus tests.
“The actions of the two people involved in this incident are incredibly irresponsible and extremely disappointing,” said Bliss. “There is no room for complacency.”
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Bliss said that the actions of the Grand Millennium Auckland hotel employee did not reflect the 4,000 people who work in quarantine hotels that each day “selflessly put themselves between us and this virus”. He said an investigation is underway to see if additional security measures are needed.
The identities of the two people involved were not released by the authorities.
New Zealand’s successful response resulted in only 25 people dying from the virus in a country of 5 million. The only new cases are those originating from returning travelers, 100,000 of whom have flown in the past year. Authorities and people across the country remain on the lookout for any border violations.