MIQ for alleged breacher
Probe into Northlander’s travel from Perth, virus risk ‘low’
Aman in Northland was taken to a managed isolation facility yesterday — two days after allegedly breaching border control rules when he arrived in the country before travelling north.
It was revealed on Monday that a New Zealander was able to board a plane in Perth while the Western Australian city was in lockdown, and then fly to Auckland via Sydney, even though transtasman travel from that state was meant to be on hold.
He had left Auckland International Airport and was on his way to Northland by the time Immigration NZ discovered the alleged breach, which is now under investigation.
A Ministry of Health spokesman confirmed the man was taken to the isolation facility yesterday but wouldn’t say where in Northland he was staying.
It comes as figures from the Ministry of Health show Northland’s Covid-19 vaccination plan, running at 62 per cent, was the lowest in New Zealand, while the nation’s overall Covid vaccine rollout is 3 per cent ahead of schedule.
Director general of health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield, said the team in charge of the vaccination programme last week spoke to the Northland District Health Board, which was reflected in a bigger effort this week when people aged over 50 were vaccinated ahead of time.
He said the traveller in question, who was taken into a managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facility, could face a fine of up to $4000 or six months’ imprisonment over his alleged breach of the quarantine-free travel requirements under the Air Border Order by not reporting to an MIQ facility when required.
The risk from the person’s travel to New Zealand was described as “low” and he had not attended any of the locations of interest in Perth.
The traveller had tested negative before leaving Perth and would be tested on day 12 of his MIQ stay.
Dr Bloomfield said the system picked up about 70 people who were prevented from travelling to NZ.
There were “a number of questions still to be answered” which would inform steps to be taken, as officials needed to be “very sure” about the travel and actions undertaken and the information provided to the passenger, he said.
Reacting to the alleged breach, Whanga¯ rei mayor Sheryl Mai said she was in “complete disbelief” something like this could happen in Northland.
“Questions remain unanswered. He may have just left Auckland and come straight home, it’s highly likely he may not have come into contact with Covid cases, but all right, things
Questions remain unanswered. He may have just left Auckland and come straight home. Whanga¯rei Mayor Sheryl Mai
have happened since he’s been discovered.
“We trust he’ll complete the 14-day isolation . . . I don’t think people in Northland should be concerned about their own health. The vaccination programme has started so there are positive things that are happening,” she said.
Northland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stephen Smith said changes were needed at the borders, despite the systems having served Kiwis well so far.
“There are a lot of New Zealand citizens who went to India at the wrong time so they are desperate to get back home and human nature being as it is, we are very inventive.”
Smith said businesses in Northland could not afford a community outbreak to occur.
More than 7000 vaccination doses have been administered in Northland since the programme started in the region on March 1.
Public health nurses vaccinated 881 Northlanders across five centres in Whanga¯rei, Dargaville, Kerikeri, Kaikohe and Kaitaia on Tuesday, 12 per cent of the total since March 1. The clinics will run until the second week of May.
The Northland DHB has lowered the eligibility age for Covid vaccinations and is inviting those over 50 and other vulnerable groups to receive their first dose, and the next dose no less than three weeks later.
Ma¯ ori Health Providers are coming on-stream by the end of May and will deliver the vaccine programme in their own communities, many of which are remote.
The total number of doses administered in the region as of 10.30am yesterday was 7277. Of those, 6367 people had received their first dose and 697 their second dose.
The current vaccination pro
gramme covers Group 2 which includes kuia, kauma¯tua and their wha¯nau, including people they live with and their carers, frontline and other healthcare workers, as well as residents in aged-care facilities.
Vaccinators will go to aged-care facilities.
The vaccination also covers people aged 50 and above who fall in Group 3A.
Dr Bloomfield said if the eligible age had not been lowered in Northland, vaccines would have expired.
“Likewise where communities are spread out and it takes some effort to travel out to, it may make sense to vaccinate the whole wha¯nau or communities. DHBs have the flexibility to do that. The important thing is people are vaccinated.”
He said provisions such as mobile clinics would be used to vaccinate Ma¯ori in remote communities in the Mid and Far North once those in agedcare facilities had been attended to.
People will need to wait 14 days after their flu vaccination before they have their Covid jab.
If they have had their Covid vaccination first, they must wait 14 days after their second dose before having the flu vaccination.
To book a Covid vaccination, send an email with your full name, phone number and NHI if you have it, to covid.bookings@northlanddhb.org. nz. You can also walk in but you may need to wait, as those who have booked will be given priority.
From midnight last night, only New Zealand citizens are able to fly directly home from countries deemed “very high-risk”, which currently includes India, Brazil, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea.
NZ residents will still be able to travel to New Zealand but will first need to have spent 14 days outside those countries.