Those returning to NZ face conflicting advice

QUESTIONS are being raised about what people returning to New Zealand during the lockdown can and cannot do while in selfisolation.

Conflicting advice is being given to some travellers on arrival about whether they can leave the house for exercise, and official advice on the Ministry of Health and the covid19. govt.nz websites contradict each other.

Recent arrivals have been told they can go out to exercise, if they stay local and keep their distance from others — advice backed up by the Ministry of Health.

However, covid19.govt.nz makes it clear, people who have returned from overseas and are isolating at home, should not leave their house at all for 14 days.

This confusion comes as the Government shows no sign it will tighten quarantine controls for those arriving at the border, in response to calls from the Opposition to quarantine and test everyone.

Police have admitted they have not been able to carry out the expected level of checking on people sent home to selfisolate — those who arrive in New Zealand with no Covid19 symptoms and have a plan for selfisolation.

Those with symptoms or with no plan are put into quarantine, or closely supervised selfisolation in a hotel.

Police were under pressure this week after concerns not enough is being done to enforce and monitor requirements for New Zealanders returning from overseas.

Andrew Coster, who took over the role of police commissioner overnight on Thursday, said yesterday police were using an optin technology which would allow people to be tracked by clicking a link in a text message from police sent to their phones.

‘‘They can choose whether or not to reply to that text message to confirm their location, so it’s an optin thing and it’s done by consent.’’

He said of about 8000 people who had received the messages, about 50% of those had responded.

‘‘We are prioritising visits to the people who have not responded.

‘‘We are also doing followup phone checks with people and it’s enabling us to encourage them to do the right thing. And then where that doesn’t work, we’ll go and do a visit,’’ Mr Coster said.

National Party leader Simon Bridges said New Zealand needed an ‘‘enforced quarantine’’ for those entering the country.

‘‘For weeks our borders have been porous, with no thermal testing being undertaken and the selfisolation of New Zealanders not being policed well enough,’’ he said. ‘‘That has to stop.’’

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there were other highrisk groups selfisolating; for example those who had close contact with positive cases, but there was a level of trust.

There was a riskassessment at the border, she said

‘‘But if, for instance, someone has a private vehicle, a home to go to, they’re isolating just with the person they travelled with and they live 20 minutes from an airport — yes, they go home.

‘‘We check on them. If we don’t hear back, the police go and knock on their door.’’

She said if it was matter of resources, police and health officials would still have to monitor those people, whether they were at home or in governmentprovided accommodation.

‘‘No matter what way you look at it, what we’re making sure is that we’re channelling that resource into our highestrisk individuals.’’

Ms Ardern said the number of New Zealanders arriving back from overseas was falling daily and the Government remained ready to adjust any settings if and when necessary. — RNZ