MIQ bookings freeze extended as cases rise

The Government has extended a freeze on managed isolation (MIQ) bookings by weeks, as health officials grapple with a growing number of Covid-19 cases.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins yesterday said the pause on booking of managed isolation rooms would be extended by a ‘‘few more weeks’’ due to the system being under pressure. He has also suggested that New Zealanders abroad cancel any plans to return home for a summer holiday, as ‘‘now is not a good time’’.

‘‘We are in a global pandemic. That has made international travel much, much more difficult . . . We are doing what we can do. And we’re doing what we can do safely,’’ he said.

‘‘People do have to adjust their expectations a little bit at the moment.

‘‘The ability to travel for family events, like weddings and birthdays, is a lot more restricted in a global pandemic.’’

People would still be able to apply to enter the managed isolation system in emergency circumstances, he said.

The Government first paused the booking of managed isolation rooms more than a week ago.

Yesterday, there were another 75 Covid-19 cases identified in the community. Each, and their close contacts, will need to enter the managed isolation and quarantine system. The Jet Park hotel and Novotel Ibis at Ellerslie, both being used as quarantine facilities, are nearly at capacity.

A new quarantine facility, the Holiday Inn near Auckland’s airport, should be ready in the coming 24 or 36 hours, and it would be needed in the coming days, Hipkins said.

‘‘There is not an infinite ability to stand up more MIQ. We’re looking at whether we can ... But it’s not just the physical facilities, it’s also the staff.’’

He said he had received legal advice on the further restrictions on the rights of New Zealanders to return to the country.

‘‘The overriding legal principle that comes into play here is that the restrictions put in place have to be proportionate to the level of risk. At the moment, we’re clearly dealing with an elevated level of risk.’’

Hipkins said there would be more spaces opened up in the system for returnees before the end of the year.

When new spaces in the system were next made available, the booking website would operate differently, Hipkins said.

The Government would announce when new spaces would become available, and there would be a ‘‘virtual lobby’’ that would select people trying to book from a queue randomly.

This would remove ‘‘the need for people to be the fastest person to hit the button’’, he said.

‘‘It will not fix the overall problem of supply and demand.’’