Two taken to hospital from Auckland managed isolation

The Stamford Plaza Auckland hotel in Albert St is a managed isolation facility. Photo: NZ Herald
The Stamford Plaza Auckland hotel in Albert St is a managed isolation facility. Photo: NZ Herald
At least two people who recently arrived from overseas have been taken to hospital from a downtown Auckland managed isolation facility.

The Ministry of Health is set to give an update on Covid-19 numbers this afternoon. 

Officials earlier confirmed that two separate hospital transfers from the Stamford Plaza Auckland hotel in Albert St were carried out on Monday evening.

A Managed Isolation and Quarantine statement given to The New Zealand Herald said: "Full health protocols were observed and full (personal protective equipment) was worn.

"For privacy reasons, we do not identify returnees who enter hospital or discuss their medical details."

A spokeswoman has since confirmed that the hospital transfers were not Covid-related.

"With nearly 75,000 returnees through managed isolation and quarantine facilities, it is not uncommon for instances where returnees may sometimes need to go to hospital due to pre-existing medical conditions or as a result of trips and falls - similar to what may happen at home," she said.

An ambulance was spotted outside the hotel - one of Auckland's managed isolation facilities - just after 5pm yesterday.

A witness told the Herald they saw three medical staff - one of whom was wearing full PPE gear. The other two were seen wearing face masks and gloves.

The ambulance parked on the kerb and there was some confusion among pedestrians who walked past - in between the hotel and the ambulance - at the time, the witness said.

It comes almost a week after a woman in her 20s, who lives and works in downtown Auckland, tested positive for Covid-19.

The AUT student works at the A-Z Collection retail store on High St and lives at the Vincent St Residences apartment block at 106 Vincent St.

She initially became symptomatic on Monday, November 9.

Downtown Auckland was effectively put into lockdown on Friday, as a result, as the Ministry of Health worked to figure out exactly how the young woman became infected.

It was later confirmed genome testing directly linked the young woman to a Defence Force staffer who tested positive for the virus earlier this month - and who had been in the area where the woman worked.

In the past two days, a neighbour of the AUT student has also tested positive for the virus.