The Ministry of Health is working with district health boards around the country to develop a community-based isolation and quarantine service to respond to potential community Covid-19 outbreaks.
The news comes as figures supplied to Stuff from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) suggest quarantine spots for positive cases could be filled in a week.
The new scheme is called Community Supported Isolation and Quarantine, and an MBIE spokeswoman said the service had been designed to help community cases and their contacts safely self-isolate and may include alternative accommodation.
“It’s important to stress that these do not involve hotels or facilities.”
READ MORE:
* MIQ worker at Auckland Holiday Inn tests positive for Covid-19
* Covid-19 NZ: No new community cases on Tuesday, six among recent arrivals
* Covid-19: Second Melbourne hotel quarantine worker tests positive
Instead, the form the alternative accommodation took would be decided by local DHBs, so could vary, and could include motel units or properties owned or rented by the DHB, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health said.
He said the vast majority of those who contract Covid-19 would still be transferred to a quarantine facility, but “a very small” number of people who were not be able to self-isolate would be offered a spot at the alternative accommodation.
Ricky Wilson/Stuff
The Ibis Novotel in Auckland’s Ellerslie was converted to a dual facility for both managed isolation and positive cases of Covid-19 as Jet Park Hotel filled up.
MBIE figures show of 420 quarantine rooms in Auckland, 191 are currently unoccupied.
With the number of community cases on an upward trend and a current daily average for the last week sitting at 29 cases, those spots could be filled in as little as a week, depending on how many spaces become free when individuals recover.
People who test positive for Covid-19 must stay in quarantine for at least a fortnight.
When asked whether MBIE, which runs the MIQ system, was concerned it may run out of spots for community cases, a spokeswoman said: “We are constantly monitoring the situation and working with our partner agencies to respond to any changes in case numbers if necessary.
“MIQ has previously made changes to the configuration of facilities in Auckland and elsewhere in response to the community outbreak, while continuing to provide for international returnees.”
MBIE also has 124 rooms available for community close contacts in Auckland, of which 68 remain available.
The 420 Auckland quarantine rooms are used for positive international returnees as well as positive community cases. Community cases occupy 129 of the 229 occupied rooms.
A Ministry of Health spokesman said at this stage, the vast majority of people who tested positive were transferred to an MIQ facility.
“Where an exemption is approved, the local Medical Officer of Health specifies a plan, with strict criteria, that must be adhered to by the person or whānau staying at home.
“This includes 24/7 security to ensure unauthorised visitors do not enter the home, to provide a level of protection for the family and to ensure exemption criteria are adhered to.”
DHBs will work closely with Māori, Pacific, and other providers within the community to ensure adequate and culturally safe support can be mobilised for individuals and their whānau, the ministry said.
A month ago it was confirmed the managed isolation and quarantine facility at Holiday Inn Auckland Airport would transition to being used exclusively to house positive Covid-19 cases in Auckland.
The Novotel Ibis was also transformed into a dual facility which could house positive cases as well as returnees from overseas.
