Hotel guests stunned by new LA arrivals

Guests at a Wellington accommodation complex were stunned to discover they were sharing their hotel with film workers direct from a Covid-19 hot spot.

Management of the QT Hotel say the workers, direct from Los Angeles, are completely segregated from other guests. But one of those guests told Stuff that she walked directly through a crowd of them unaware they had just arrived from the United States, the country with the world’s highest number of Covid-19 cases.

Los Angeles is one of the worstaffected places in the US, with a tally of 53,746 confirmed cases and 2339 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

On Sunday, Stuff revealed that Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford had allowed 56 film workers past New Zealand’s closed borders. It is understood these people were working on the Avatar sequels and another yet-tobe-announced project.

Their Air New Zealand Dreamliner charter plane, direct from Los Angeles, touched down inwellington before dawn on Sunday and the film workers were taken to the QT Hotel to begin a twoweek quarantine.

QT Wellington general manager Ian Charlton said: ‘‘We have isolated them in the hotel side of QT Wellington, which is completely separate from our other guests that are staying in our QT apartments. As per Ministry of Health requirements, guests selfisolating are confined to their rooms, with room service being left outside their doors.

‘‘We would never put any of our guests, staff or the public staying or dining at QT at risk and ... we are going beyond what is required by the Ministry of Heath guidelines related to Covid-19.’’

Those staying in the adjoining apartment complex, which has access to a shared entrance, say

they heard about the new guests only by reading the Stuff report.

‘‘We were given no heads-up whatsoever,’’ one said.

‘‘It is just shocking; we weren’t told anything.’’

As she was leaving past the hotel concierge desk on Sunday, she passed through a big crowd of those checking in.

She was initially shocked by the lack of physical distancing between the guests but it was only later she realised they were most likely the workers from Los Angeles.

Her husband, who was also there, has type-1 diabetes so was considered to be high risk.

Another apartment guest said the hotel had not communicated anything about the new arrivals to existing guests. ‘‘I’m furious – I was deniedmy chance to make my own decision [about whether to remain at QT],’’ he said.

The Ministry of Health said the group was ‘‘tested for Covid-19 before leaving the United States and all tested negative’’.

It said: ‘‘Theministry of Health and Regional Public Health are overseeing the implementation of the managed isolation and quarantine processes at the hotel.

‘‘Staff from both organisations were present at the arrival process on Sunday and are on site.’’

When asked whether others at the hotel should have been told of the group’s visit, the ministry said: ‘‘No members of the public are staying in the hotel where managed isolation guests are staying.’’

Movements of the group would be monitored and the only activity allowed outside the hotel would be ‘‘occasional managed excursions under strict protocols, including appropriate supervision’’.

‘‘It is just shocking; we weren’t told anything.’’

QT Hotel guest