Minister of Health David Clark says he is disappointed to learn that the two latest cases of Covid-19 were not tested before leaving their facility under a special exemption.
Two women were given permission to leave their hotel, nine days after arriving from Britain, and travel to Wellington to visit their dying parent. They have since both tested positive for the coronavirus.
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Clark told RNZ's Checkpoint programme tonight that, as a result of the latest cases, he had asked Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield to temporarily suspend all compassionate exemptions until he was confident that "things are happening as they should" at the borders.
"They followed all of the instructions given to them and so they haven't come into contact with a wider group of people ... but nonetheless I am disappointed to learn they were out of the facility without testing negative first, because that was my understanding that that would have happened."
He said it was his understanding that one of the women had symptoms but dismissed them as part of a pre-existing condition.
Clark said it was his expectation that people were tested at three days and 12 days since their arrival, based on advice from the Ministry of Health.
"My understanding is that the Director-General himself was expecting they'd be tested before they left and so the system has clearly not worked as it was intended to work. I'm very disappointed about that."
He said he had asked for the temporary suspension of exemptions to ensure that there were no others in similar situations.
"We have faced some action in the courts over our stringent approach, however, I think we need to be unapologetic about that, we need to make sure we are having a water type boundary and we don't have people coming in with Covid because our citizens have worked very hard to make sure that we don't have Covid here."
The new cases also highlighted the importance of strict border controls, he said.
"We need to have really stringent controls at our border for the protection of our people and recognising that people have made sacrifices to get to the position we are now."
Cases highlight importance of border controls - PM
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the two new cases of Covid-19 underline how important it is to have strict border controls.
But she would not be drawn on any details of the cases - the first in the country since May 22 - pointing instead to today's press conference with Bloomfield.
"There are eight million cases worldwide. We still have New Zealanders returning home," Ardern said. "What this does prove is the importance of a rigorous system at our border."
The Health Ministry said they are related to the border as a result of recent travel from the United Kingdom, and One News is reporting they were given an exemption to attend a funeral in New Zealand.
She said New Zealand was ready for a second surge of cases, but the focus was on preventative measures.
"I've said all along, New Zealand would continue to have cases because it continues to surge around the world. We of course are well-placed to manage it, though."
She said that Bloomfield will also talk about "precautionary and rigorous testing as a result of the cases today".
National's health spokesman Michael Woodhouse was critical of the Ministry of Health's two hour delay in giving details about the two new cases.
"I would have thought that given their previous practice they would have been much more clear about what's happened and why and what their response to it is."
Last week, Bloomfield said exemptions for people to leave quarantine or managed isolation at the border to attend a funeral or tangi would no longer be given.
That was because of the risk of an imported case of Covid-19 spreading into the community.
Today broke the streak of 24 days of no new cases.
It was also the Health Ministry's elimination day, meaning it had been 28 days since the last case of community transmission had come out of isolation.
That case was a Ministry for Primary Industries worker who tested positive at the border on April 30, and who came out of isolation on May 18.
He had been tested as part of a surveillance programme, which Bloomfield has said would continue to focus on the border.
Ardern has previously said she would not rule out the possibility of moving back up alert levels.
Every traveller who arrives into New Zealand on a flight which departs from another country must go into one of two facilities for an isolation period of 14 days.
If a traveller is symptomatic on arrival, they are placed in a quarantine facility for two weeks. If they are not symptomatic on arrival, they are placed in an approved managed isolation facility for two weeks, according to the ministry's website.
Since June 8, all travellers who arrived in the country were tested for Covid-19 at their respective facilities.
"Specific facilities are being used for a small number of travellers who are unwell when arriving in New Zealand. These people are in quarantine and are unable to leave their room," the ministry website says.
"Separate facilities are being used for travellers who are well. While in these facilities, they are able to go for a walk within the confines of the facility, but will need to limit contact with others.
"Travellers at these facilities may not leave the facility grounds for any reason unless they have express approval from health officials and are accompanied by health officials."
At the end of their two-week isolation period, travellers are able to leave the facility and travel to their final destination, given they have a suitable travel plan in place.
- RNZ and NZ Herald
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Comments
Why are Clark and Ardern both teaching us to suck eggs? WE know the importance of strict border controls - that's what we thought THEY were taking care of. It's terrible incompetence on their part.
Then, compassionate consideration is Out. Not a matter for the Court, or the exercised anti Labour mob.
The visitor was symptomatic and knew it. They chose to go on the Road.
You can't have it both ways.
Why is this man still Minister of Health? He didn't know his own rules about travel during lockdown and now he doesn't know what is being done with respect to tests on people leaving quarantine? How is this competence?
Can I suggest to these numpties that they actually test people daily that have come into country, then they'd actually know the threat was there or not, information is power...