New Zealand’s response to Covid-19 [was Soft closing of NZ Border]
Feb 14, 2021, 3:10 pm
#76
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,637
I've been through MIQ at the Pullman no less. Daily health checks (which require nursing staff) are heath theatre. Ditto access to ICU capacity. What happens when people in ZQN get critically ill? They are flown to Dunedin - no reason someone from MIQ can't be transferred. If for some odd reason the government requires MIQ from Australia, then a slightly different model is certainly possible in ZQN.
Bearing in mind the risk of someone from Aust arriving in NZ having CONID is lower than my chance of winning Lotto. Even less with pre-depature tests.
Bearing in mind the risk of someone from Aust arriving in NZ having CONID is lower than my chance of winning Lotto. Even less with pre-depature tests.
Also got to consider the staff, the bigger cities have more Nurse temp agencies and the like to find the nursing resources from. When looking at these places they may have also not been able to find enough staff.
Mar 9, 2021, 12:00 pm
#77
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Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) slots for June and up to 25 July are now online. Were not online ~12 hours ago. Maybe online from 07:00 NZ time? They fill quickly. All Thursdays are shown as allocated, so maybe someone in MBIE(NZ Govt) has decided not to release Thursdays.
https://allocation.miq.govt.nz/portal/
https://allocation.miq.govt.nz/portal/
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Mar 9, 2021 at 12:08 pm
Mar 10, 2021, 1:13 am
#78
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MIQ slots over the day. Local NZ time
left
07:35
07:54
08:15
08:28
right
08:48
10:18
15:07
18:07
Changed a lot during the day. Thursday was fully allocated but later in the day came back. The last week of July became available during the afternoon, All June & July allocated now, but may have been closed for the night. Or those in UK-EU jumped on board.
Edit
At 09:11 11 March MIQ site shows fully booked up to and including 18 June and open for booking until 31 July. Must be controlled release by MBIE (Govt department)
left
07:35
07:54
08:15
08:28
right
08:48
10:18
15:07
18:07
Changed a lot during the day. Thursday was fully allocated but later in the day came back. The last week of July became available during the afternoon, All June & July allocated now, but may have been closed for the night. Or those in UK-EU jumped on board.
Edit
At 09:11 11 March MIQ site shows fully booked up to and including 18 June and open for booking until 31 July. Must be controlled release by MBIE (Govt department)
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Mar 10, 2021 at 1:15 pm
Mar 15, 2021, 11:34 pm
#79
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Interesting news report on MIQ release
16 March 2021 (stuff.co.nz)---->Covid-19: Staggered release of MIQ vouchers has hopeful returnees using a VPN to secure their spot
16 March 2021 (stuff.co.nz)---->Covid-19: Staggered release of MIQ vouchers has hopeful returnees using a VPN to secure their spot
Additional spots in Covid-19 managed isolation were released at the beginning of March, but not all hopeful returnees were given the same opportunity to snatch up one of the coveted spots.
When demand is high, the system “staggers” the release of days to ensure bookings can be smoothly completed, according to a managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) spokesperson. New months may be unavailable for some for a “short period”, even if they have been released and are visible for others.
<snip>
“We appreciate this user experience of bookings opening and closing may be unusual, but it allows the system to manage these peak times and ensure the availability is spread out to give everyone the best chance. We are continuing to find ways to improve the experience when under significant demand.”
On March 5, when rooms where released, high demand forced the website to crash. There were more than 10,000 successful logins per hour, with more than 2400 users at any one time. In just 12 hours there were 1 million page views.
<snip>
There are 32 facilities spread across Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Rotorua and Christchurch. As of 11.59pm on Sunday 4092 of the 4500 rooms were occupied by 5371 people.
When demand is high, the system “staggers” the release of days to ensure bookings can be smoothly completed, according to a managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) spokesperson. New months may be unavailable for some for a “short period”, even if they have been released and are visible for others.
<snip>
“We appreciate this user experience of bookings opening and closing may be unusual, but it allows the system to manage these peak times and ensure the availability is spread out to give everyone the best chance. We are continuing to find ways to improve the experience when under significant demand.”
On March 5, when rooms where released, high demand forced the website to crash. There were more than 10,000 successful logins per hour, with more than 2400 users at any one time. In just 12 hours there were 1 million page views.
<snip>
There are 32 facilities spread across Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Rotorua and Christchurch. As of 11.59pm on Sunday 4092 of the 4500 rooms were occupied by 5371 people.
Mar 23, 2021, 5:30 pm
#80
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24 March 2021 (stuff.co.nz)----> Returning Kiwis will need to stay in NZ for 180 days to avoid managed isolation fees
A disincentive for those Kiwi's returning for a trip to Australia or a return to UK, EU or where ever.
New Zealanders returning home for a visit will soon need to stay in the country for 180 days to avoid paying managed isolation (MIQ) fees.
The change comes into effect from June 1. Previously, returnees needed to be in the country for 90 days to avoid paying MIQ costs.The rule specifically applied to New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who are returning from overseas who have not been in the country since August 11, 2020. The current fee is $3100 (including GST) for the 14-day managed isolation stay for the first adult in the room.
<snip>
The change comes into effect from June 1. Previously, returnees needed to be in the country for 90 days to avoid paying MIQ costs.The rule specifically applied to New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who are returning from overseas who have not been in the country since August 11, 2020. The current fee is $3100 (including GST) for the 14-day managed isolation stay for the first adult in the room.
<snip>
Mar 23, 2021, 11:15 pm
#81
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24 March 2021 (stuff.co.nz)----> Returning Kiwis will need to stay in NZ for 180 days to avoid managed isolation fees
A disincentive for those Kiwi's returning for a trip to Australia or a return to UK, EU or where ever.
A disincentive for those Kiwi's returning for a trip to Australia or a return to UK, EU or where ever.
David
Mar 24, 2021, 1:09 am
#82
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24 Mar 2021 (rnz.co.nz)--->Hundreds take overseas holidays despite 'don't travel' advice
Some New Zealanders have not waited for an Australian travel bubble before taking leisure trips across the ditch - with about 27 holidaymakers heading there and back over Christmas and New Year.
They're among at least 424 Kiwis who've taken return trips overseas in the past year and ticked "holiday/vacation" on their departure card, since a Do Not Travel advisory appeared on the government's SafeTravel website on 20 March 2020. Managed isolation became mandatory for returnees last April and there has been more demand than rooms ever since, with people needing to book as far as 16 weeks in advance unless they met extremely strict emergency allocation criteria. Overall, Stats NZ said about 10,000 New Zealanders had bypassed that advice to embark on return overseas trips.
Population indicators manager Tehseen Islam cited varied reasons. "Forty-four percent of them were visiting friends and relatives based on how they've filled out their departure card, while 23 percent of them stated they were on business travel and we have a very small percentage - 3 percent - who indicated they were travelling for vacation or holiday purposes," he said.
<snip>
They're among at least 424 Kiwis who've taken return trips overseas in the past year and ticked "holiday/vacation" on their departure card, since a Do Not Travel advisory appeared on the government's SafeTravel website on 20 March 2020. Managed isolation became mandatory for returnees last April and there has been more demand than rooms ever since, with people needing to book as far as 16 weeks in advance unless they met extremely strict emergency allocation criteria. Overall, Stats NZ said about 10,000 New Zealanders had bypassed that advice to embark on return overseas trips.
Population indicators manager Tehseen Islam cited varied reasons. "Forty-four percent of them were visiting friends and relatives based on how they've filled out their departure card, while 23 percent of them stated they were on business travel and we have a very small percentage - 3 percent - who indicated they were travelling for vacation or holiday purposes," he said.
<snip>
Mar 25, 2021, 9:31 pm
#83
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Will be more of this going forward. But how legal it is (will be) from a discrimination point of view will be interesting.
26 Mar 2021 (rnz.co.nz)--->Unvaccinated border workers to be barred from frontline roles
26 Mar 2021 (rnz.co.nz)--->Unvaccinated border workers to be barred from frontline roles
<snip>
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says they can't force people to take the jab, but nor is it acceptable to have unvaccinated people working in New Zealand's main protection against the virus ravaging other parts of the world. He said he would never make immunisation mandatory, as that runs the risk of hardening any anti-vaccination stance. About 5 percent of the border workforce have refused a vaccine, for a variety of reasons. They have been the first group of New Zealanders to get the vaccine, given their high risk working conditions.
<snip>
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says they can't force people to take the jab, but nor is it acceptable to have unvaccinated people working in New Zealand's main protection against the virus ravaging other parts of the world. He said he would never make immunisation mandatory, as that runs the risk of hardening any anti-vaccination stance. About 5 percent of the border workforce have refused a vaccine, for a variety of reasons. They have been the first group of New Zealanders to get the vaccine, given their high risk working conditions.
<snip>
Mar 29, 2021, 12:41 am
#84
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29 Mar 2021 (rnz.co.nz)--->Kiwis vaccinated overseas still need to stay in MIQ for now, Jacinda Ardern says
Covid 19 coronavirus: Fake foreign virus test results highlight pre-departure testing flaws, say experts
At this time AU has the same policy. Will be some time before changed or reduced restrictions on entry (for both countries)
<snip>
“There are the real ethical issues we have to work through in terms of not creating an underclass of people who are not vaccinated and can't travel.”
It comes as the Ministry of Health reported 11 new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation today, despite returnees needing to prove they’ve tested negative for the virus within 72 hours of flying. One case arrived on Friday from Italy via Singapore and tested positive in routine day one testing. The remaining 10 cases arrived into New Zealand on the same flight from India via the United Arab Emirates on Saturday and tested positive on arrival in New Zealand.
<snip>
“There are the real ethical issues we have to work through in terms of not creating an underclass of people who are not vaccinated and can't travel.”
It comes as the Ministry of Health reported 11 new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation today, despite returnees needing to prove they’ve tested negative for the virus within 72 hours of flying. One case arrived on Friday from Italy via Singapore and tested positive in routine day one testing. The remaining 10 cases arrived into New Zealand on the same flight from India via the United Arab Emirates on Saturday and tested positive on arrival in New Zealand.
<snip>
At this time AU has the same policy. Will be some time before changed or reduced restrictions on entry (for both countries)
Mar 30, 2021, 3:07 am
#85
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Apr 7, 2021, 10:01 pm
#86
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Many of the positive cases in MIQ, from testing after arrival, are people from India.
08 Apr 2021 (rnz.co.nz)-->New Zealand temporarily suspending travel from India - PM Jacinda Ardern
Edit
Entry into NZ from India suspended, Jacinda Ardern announces; 23 Covid-19 cases at border
Edit 2
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/jacind...N6W7YAMOPZTP4/
From stuff.co.nz
Edit 3
10 Apr 2020 (rnz.co.nz)--->Covid-19 update: 10 new imported cases, no new community cases
08 Apr 2021 (rnz.co.nz)-->New Zealand temporarily suspending travel from India - PM Jacinda Ardern
Edit
Entry into NZ from India suspended, Jacinda Ardern announces; 23 Covid-19 cases at border
Edit 2
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/jacind...N6W7YAMOPZTP4/
<snip>
Meanwhile, Ardern is offering reassurances to those people travelling from India to New Zealand, before the two-week travel exemption from India ticket comes into effect. "They'll have the same level of precaution and care as we do for every flight." She said the Government treats every international arrival as if they potentially have Covid-19
According to Ministry of Health data from the past two weeks, 55 people who have travelled from India to New Zealand have tested positive for Covid-19 – 73 per cent of all arrivals. "If that number of people from any country were coming in with Covid, that would give us cause to pause and look at mitigations to try and reduce that risk," Ardern said today.
This follows criticism from Green MP Golriz Ghahraman, who said on Twitter: "Our ethnic communities of South Asian origin need to know race isn't a factor in our Covid-19 risk management".
Ardern said the travel suspension was not country-specific. "It is about the cases we are seeing currently from that region."
<snip>
Meanwhile, Ardern is offering reassurances to those people travelling from India to New Zealand, before the two-week travel exemption from India ticket comes into effect. "They'll have the same level of precaution and care as we do for every flight." She said the Government treats every international arrival as if they potentially have Covid-19
According to Ministry of Health data from the past two weeks, 55 people who have travelled from India to New Zealand have tested positive for Covid-19 – 73 per cent of all arrivals. "If that number of people from any country were coming in with Covid, that would give us cause to pause and look at mitigations to try and reduce that risk," Ardern said today.
This follows criticism from Green MP Golriz Ghahraman, who said on Twitter: "Our ethnic communities of South Asian origin need to know race isn't a factor in our Covid-19 risk management".
Ardern said the travel suspension was not country-specific. "It is about the cases we are seeing currently from that region."
<snip>
Edit 3
10 Apr 2020 (rnz.co.nz)--->Covid-19 update: 10 new imported cases, no new community cases
There have been 10 new cases of Covid-19 reported in managed isolation today, including eight from India.
<snip>
The new cases in managed isolation including one from the United Arab Emirates and one from Canada, with the rest arriving from India between 1 and 8 April.With a recent surge in cases in managed isolation arriving from India, the government has taken the unprecedented step of suspending all travel from India.
<snip>
<snip>
The new cases in managed isolation including one from the United Arab Emirates and one from Canada, with the rest arriving from India between 1 and 8 April.With a recent surge in cases in managed isolation arriving from India, the government has taken the unprecedented step of suspending all travel from India.
<snip>
Last edited by Mwenenzi; Apr 9, 2021 at 9:37 pm
Apr 16, 2021, 4:51 pm
#87
Join Date: Nov 2017
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I think that New Zealand's international border response to covid is going to be closely tied to what Australia does. The NZ government is not talking about it, but Australia is, so it's nice to keep up with their international border announcements at the very least.
Right now, Australia is not looking at opening up borders widely until mid 2022 at the earliest: https://metro.co.uk/2021/04/14/austr...lout-14410913/
That is because Australia predicts their vaccine rollout will now lag into 2022 & will take until mid 2022 for it to be completed because they're now switching to Pfizer for most people & need to wait for extra doses. New Zealand is on track to complete ours just prior to this I believe, as we've already got our Pfizer sorted. We even have enough Pfizer to vaccinated teenagers & children when that is approved.
I think we can predict then that NZ will not reopen borders until mid-2022. Even if we get vaccinated sooner, I can't imagine us opening before Australia. We'll probably open on the same date they do (what a strange concept - our new world is bizarre).
However, Australia is also discussing allowing overseas travel, without a hotel quarantine for vaccinated citizens, once the vulnerable populations have been vaccinated: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-...avel/100073168
The government is still "talking" with Qantas about reopening international travel in October, despite the new announcements that an open border is not on the cards until at least mid 2022. That makes me think that they are hoping to work towards an at-home quarantine by October 2021.
Again, this doesn't mean NZ will offer something similar: but I wouldn't be surprised if we follow Australia's lead.
In terms of travel bubbles, right now, Qantas - which is in communication with the Australian government - seems to believe that Fiji & other Pacific Islands are on the cards this year, as is Singapore. They mentioned Japan as a potential one, but I highly doubt that: https://www.news.com.au/travel/trave...8cdf3d733060f8
Singapore has been discussed multiple times by government officials in Australia as the next big bubble: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fede...06-p57gyu.html
I think it is likely that there will be travel between us & Singapore & Fiji this year. I don't think Korea or Japan is likely.
On a personal note: I have no appetite to truly travel, unless the country has returned to "normal" - it's difficult to want to travel to a country where you have to wear masks/do social distancing when we don't have to do any of that here.
Right now, Australia is not looking at opening up borders widely until mid 2022 at the earliest: https://metro.co.uk/2021/04/14/austr...lout-14410913/
That is because Australia predicts their vaccine rollout will now lag into 2022 & will take until mid 2022 for it to be completed because they're now switching to Pfizer for most people & need to wait for extra doses. New Zealand is on track to complete ours just prior to this I believe, as we've already got our Pfizer sorted. We even have enough Pfizer to vaccinated teenagers & children when that is approved.
I think we can predict then that NZ will not reopen borders until mid-2022. Even if we get vaccinated sooner, I can't imagine us opening before Australia. We'll probably open on the same date they do (what a strange concept - our new world is bizarre).
However, Australia is also discussing allowing overseas travel, without a hotel quarantine for vaccinated citizens, once the vulnerable populations have been vaccinated: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-...avel/100073168
The government is still "talking" with Qantas about reopening international travel in October, despite the new announcements that an open border is not on the cards until at least mid 2022. That makes me think that they are hoping to work towards an at-home quarantine by October 2021.
Again, this doesn't mean NZ will offer something similar: but I wouldn't be surprised if we follow Australia's lead.
In terms of travel bubbles, right now, Qantas - which is in communication with the Australian government - seems to believe that Fiji & other Pacific Islands are on the cards this year, as is Singapore. They mentioned Japan as a potential one, but I highly doubt that: https://www.news.com.au/travel/trave...8cdf3d733060f8
Singapore has been discussed multiple times by government officials in Australia as the next big bubble: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fede...06-p57gyu.html
I think it is likely that there will be travel between us & Singapore & Fiji this year. I don't think Korea or Japan is likely.
On a personal note: I have no appetite to truly travel, unless the country has returned to "normal" - it's difficult to want to travel to a country where you have to wear masks/do social distancing when we don't have to do any of that here.
Last edited by kiwifrequentflyer; Apr 16, 2021 at 5:00 pm
Apr 19, 2021, 6:23 pm
#88
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Arrived into MIQ on the 19th. On Day 2 now. I was the guinea pig for the first ex-USA flight in the Australia bubble phase. Bags took 8.5 hours to get to my room but other than that it was ok. NZ5 was about half full in all cabins. Landed in AKL 6am sharp was in my hotel room at 9am.
Apr 19, 2021, 9:42 pm
#89
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20 Apr 2021 (rnz.co.nz)---->Covid-19: Worker at Auckland Airport tests positive, plus one historical case
The Auckland Airport worker who has tested positive for Covid-19 cleans planes from places with Covid-19, and had been fully vaccinated, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.The ministry reported in a statement this afternoon that the person tested positive. It said there was also one historical case.
Speaking more than an hour later, Ardern said the border worker cleaned planes which had come from places with Covid-19 and carrying people with the coronavirus. "A very clear link at this stage to cases that are high risk," she said.
"The reason this person was part of our surveillance testing was because they were working in an area we consider to be high-risk. They are coming in contact with the planes that are carrying passengers from high risk countries and so that is a place where our workers, they are in the kinds of roles that means they need to be tested, they need to be vaccinated, but they also need to be thanked for the jobs that they do because of the risk that it carries." They were fully vaccinated early on in the campaign and were last tested on 12 and 19 April, she said. Yesterday's test showed a positive result.
<snip>
Speaking more than an hour later, Ardern said the border worker cleaned planes which had come from places with Covid-19 and carrying people with the coronavirus. "A very clear link at this stage to cases that are high risk," she said.
"The reason this person was part of our surveillance testing was because they were working in an area we consider to be high-risk. They are coming in contact with the planes that are carrying passengers from high risk countries and so that is a place where our workers, they are in the kinds of roles that means they need to be tested, they need to be vaccinated, but they also need to be thanked for the jobs that they do because of the risk that it carries." They were fully vaccinated early on in the campaign and were last tested on 12 and 19 April, she said. Yesterday's test showed a positive result.
<snip>
Apr 20, 2021, 3:45 am
#90
Join Date: Nov 2017
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Posts: 1,218
I doubt this will turn into anything, the worker is fully vaccinated, all close contact tests processed so far have come back negative and so the chances it has spread to anyone else is very small. We had that other incident with the border workers recently and outside of that group of 3 that caught it, nobody else did, and they weren't even vaccinated. I was shocked at how alertist TV 1 was being over it.