Contact of infected guard fumes: Why do we have to suffer?

A man required to stay home for a week believes there are at least five Auckland properties with residents in self-isolation or quarantine connected to the infected security guard.

The man, who shares a flat with a close contact of the infected Grand Millennium worker, told the Weekend Herald he was one of three in his central Auckland household under strict health orders to not go out for seven days.

His flatmate was now undergoing a 14-day quarantine stint at the Jet Park Hotel.

The man said there were at least five households across the city that were in a form of lockdown because of the frontline worker’s Covid infection that was detected on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Health didn’t respond directly when asked how many people were now selfisolating as a result of the case.

The 24-year-old guard, employed by a private contractor, has been transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility.

So far 10 people had been identified as close contacts of the guard, who first showed signs of a sore throat four days before being tested, and all were self-isolating.

Five had returned negative test results, and the rest were still to be processed.

Public health officials were yesterday still carrying out scoping interviews to determine any locations of interest, the Ministry of Health said, but none had been named as of last night.

The man in self-isolation, who is already fully vaccinated, told the Weekend Herald he was frustrated at having to spend a week away from his workplace, where he was required in person to carry out duties.

“Myself and my friend, we have to be in quarantine,” he said.

“Why do we have to suffer because of one person who wasn’t vaccinated?”

The guard was said to have missed two appointments due to “personal reasons“.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern later confirmed that there appeared to be no indication of “vaccine hesitancy” on the guard’s part.

Meanwhile, Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan also confirmed yesterday that New Zealanders would be allowed to travel to the state without undergoing quarantine once the transtasman bubble opened on April 19.

That had been in doubt after this week’s transtasman bubble announcement, given the state’s hardline border stance. Arriving Kiwis will need to get a special pass, called a G2G, by filling out a health declaration as well as undergoing health screenings at the airport.

The security guard is the second worker at the Grand Millennium to test positive for Covid this year.

Last month a cleaner tested positive.