Returning Kiwis may face delay

Returning Kiwis may be forced to wait overseas before they’re allowed to board a flight back to New Zealand.

That’s because the country could soon be out of space to quarantine new arrivals when they return home, after a sudden surge in demand.

Housing Minister Megan Woods said yesterday that while New Zealanders have a legal right to return home, the Government will be talking with airlines about making sure the managed isolation and quarantine system isn’t overloaded.

Woods said the measures would be ‘‘more about managing that flow’’ of new arrivals.

‘‘It’s very important to understand these are returning New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, they do have a right to re-enter New Zealand,’’ Woods said.

She said this could involve staggering arrivals, as well as managing where new arrivals landed in the country.

This weekend, two new mandatory isolation facilities had to be opened in Rotorua, after facilities in Auckland reached capacity.

The Rotorua facilities, which opened on Saturday, are meant to cater for the increasing numbers of people arriving from overseas. The Government says it might also look to other regional centres to cope.

On Saturday, 232 people who had returned to New Zealand via Auckland airport were put on seven buses and taken to hotels in Rotorua.

The Government says capacity has been reached in Auckland

‘‘There was literally no information or briefing provided.’’ Returning Kiwi

isolation hotels, forcing it to look elsewhere. Some people arriving at Auckland airport were shocked to be taken to Rotorua, as they expected to undergo isolation in Auckland.

One arriving passenger, who did not want to be named, said they were caught by surprise.

‘‘We were loaded onto the bus at Auckland Airport and started driving down the motorway – there was literally no information or briefing provided,’’ the passenger said.

‘‘It wasn’t until 15 minutes in they told us we were being taken to Rotorua. We all thought the driver was joking.’’

The passenger said they left Auckland around 5pm and arrived at Rotorua around 9pm.

Air Commodore Darryn Webb, who has been put in charge of managed isolation hotels, said an increase in arrivals meant arrangements had to change.

‘‘I acknowledge that those arriving on this flight had an expectation they were completing their managed isolation in Auckland. However, an increase in arrivals returning to New Zealand has required alternative plans to be put in place,’’ Webb said.

The Government said the buses had a toilet stop in Waharoa. The toilet was cleaned after the stop.

‘‘On arrival in Rotorua, returnees were moved off the bus in groups and were greeted by government and health staff.’’

There are currently 4727 people in managed isolation.