MIQ staff face ‘huge’ stigma, some quit in response
Managers at managed isolation facilities say their workers are encountering unfair stigma in the community and the pressure has been so bad that some have quit.
Christchurch charge nurse Kerry Winchester said she had been shocked by the way some people had treated her staff when they realised where they worked.
Her nurses had been confronted in supermarkets, barred from going to their children’s school meetings or on to school grounds to pick children up, and some had difficulty getting doctor or dentist appointments. Winchester has had more than one staff member who found the barriers set against them so difficult they have resigned. ‘‘The perception is we are a risk to the public – which is simply not true.
‘‘We have not seen community transmission of Covid from managed isolation [MIQ] workers in the time that we have been running managed isolation facilities, so I think we can be fairly confident in our processes there.
‘‘Just treat anyone that you know working in these facilities with kindness. Every single agency working for managed isolation has the same goal in mind and that is to prevent Covid from reaching the community.’’
Staff working at the Waipuna Hotel in Auckland have had friends and family reluctant to meet, and business contacts had cancelled appointments where hotel staff had already travelled to another city to meet, after they realised what the hotel was being used for.
Navy Lieutenant Sam Wilson, who is managing the managed isolation operation at the hotel, said his flatmates moved out when they learned what he would be doing.
And while they were still on good terms, he was frustrated at hearing the hurt and difficulty his workers were experiencing in their
everyday lives. Wilson believed most of the negative reactions were caused by knee-jerk fears, which in most cases could be set to rest when people learned more about what went on inside the facilities.
‘‘Everyone is keeping their
distance, everyone is wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment. If there is even any single breach then that gets noted down, reported, and it is not a disciplinary thing most of the time, unless it was intentional and then of
course there would be disciplinary action involved.’’
Both Wilson and Winchester said most staff were not in direct contact with returnees, most returnees did not have Covid, and they were convinced the strict safety protocols in place were thorough and were being followed strictly.
‘‘And the amount of Covid that is actually coming through the facilities is actually very low when you think about the number of people that we have had through managed isolation.’’
Meals and supplies were delivered to returnees’ doors, who then opened the door once staff had gone; cleaners wiped surfaces in all thoroughfares every few hours; and all staff used hand sanitiser regularly.
Winchester said those few staff who did enter returnees’ rooms – mostly nurses – followed strict protocols. They stayed on the other side of the room for most of the brief meeting, wore full protective gear, and, like all staff at the facilities, were screened and tested regularly.
She said the fear was especially frustrating as her nurses were professionals who were trained and experienced in managing patients with communicable diseases long before Covid-19 came along, and like every isolation and quarantine worker, they were there because they believed in the importance of the work to keep New Zealand safe.
The Minister for Covid-19 response, Chris Hipkins, said he was concerned. ‘‘These people are our national heroes, they are bending over backwards to keep New Zealand safe.
‘‘None of them wants to be responsible for bringing Covid-19 into the community, and I think we should treat them with respect and we should recognise the incredibly valuable job that they are doing.’’