Woods vows quarantine shake-up

Housing Minister Megan Woods has promised to shake-up managed isolation and quarantine facilities, eventually improving them to the point where compassionate exemptions can be brought back.

Along with Commodore Darryn ‘Digby’ Webb, who will be overseeing the situation on the ground, Woods will be the minister charged with turning the troubled facilities around.

The Government had planned for Woods to take over ministerial responsibility for the facilities and she hasn’t been brought in specifically in response to the news of repeated breaches at the facilities this week. As Housing Minister, Woods has some responsibility for the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE), which is taking over management of the facilities and will assume full responsibility by October 1.

Commodore Webb has already commissioned a review of what’s been happening at the facilities, which he hopes to have reported back by next week. Navy Commodore Tony Miller will lead the review.

‘‘Our focus must be on ensuring the virus’s entry back onto our shores is fully contained, that’s why we have moved to ensure our managed isolation and quarantine facilities are rock solid,’’ Woods said.

Webb had previously been involved with the managed isolation facilities, but his role has now been greatly expanded to include testing and wider areas of the health response.

Woods fronted a joint press conference with Webb yesterday, as the Government moved to respond to multiple reports of breaches at quarantine facilities.

Woods repeatedly noted that people in managed isolation have themselves a responsibility to ensure they co-operate with measures undertaken in managed isolation.

‘‘Every single person who wants to rejoin the team of five million has a role to play,’’ Woods said.

But she warned that the hotels included a ‘‘cross-section’’ of New Zealand society. ‘‘We cannot guarantee the behaviour of every individual in managed facilities’’.

There will be immediate changes on the ground. The number of defence personnel at the facilities will double from 36 to 72. Hotels that are being used as isolation or quarantine facilities will also be barred from hosting outside events.

Woods and Webb conducted a visit of two of the facilities earlier this week. She said she did not personally witness any non-compliance on that visit.

Instead, she saw ‘‘people who were among the team of hundreds who are working very hard to manage a very large and complex operation’’.

So far more than 20,000 people have gone through one of the managed isolation or quarantine facilities to date, costing $81 million.

While returning Kiwis do not have to pay for the hotel stays, businesses looking to get an exemption are required to pay.