The Dunedin businessman is about to complete his self-isolation trial in Auckland after a trip to the United States.
His goal is to prove he can get over and back safely using New Zealand-designed Covid-19 testing technologies, while not taking up space in the already stretched managed isolation and quarantine system.
Speaking from Auckland on his eighth day in isolation yesterday, Sir Ian said his point would be proven when the Government let New Zealanders stuck overseas back into the country in time for Christmas.
‘‘I now know that there is a way we can start bringing stranded Kiwis home,’’ he said.
‘‘It might only be a couple of hundred before Christmas, but it will be a start.’’
The Animation Research owner spent a week in Los Angeles and San Francisco holding business meetings, before returning last week to enter the Government’s self-isolation trial.
Before embarking on the trip, he admitted he felt some trepidation after seeing photos online of no mask-wearing and big gatherings at events and sport matches in the US — ‘‘but when I got over there, I felt safer there than I would if I was walking around Auckland at the moment’’.
Although California only had a vaccination rate of 65%, there were testing kits available at just about every store and business.
‘‘I could test anywhere at anytime I liked and that is really, really important,’’ Sir Ian said.
Initially, he expected to be in isolation for the full 14 days, but it was cut to 10 earlier this week.
That was again changed yesterday after Sir Ian was told by the Ministry of Health that if he got a test yesterday, he could leave as soon as he received a negative result — ‘‘it is all over the show’’.
Sir Ian had been using MicroGEM Spitfire saliva Covid-19 test and another saliva test from science company, Rako Science.
While neither was FDA-approved yet, he had taken both tests yesterday morning, and they returned negative results, even before the ministry picked him up for a standard PCR test.
‘‘I was driven halfway across Auckland in a van just to get a test, which will take at least a day or two to be returned,’’ he said.
Sir Ian believed the Government was ignoring New Zealand-designed technology that could make testing quicker and easier.
‘‘I don’t know why they are but they just are and a real shame about that because New Zealand is a great place to design and trial the technology,’’ he said.
He hoped to be back in Dunedin on Monday once he received his exemption to leave Auckland.
