2020 At the daily 1 pm press conference on 9 April 2020, Ardern announced that those boarding flights after midnight that day would have to go into managed isolation provided by the government. She explained that government had been considering this measure for some time, but there simply was not the capacity to introduce these measures any earlier as almost 40,000 New Zealanders had returned since 20 March, a number larger than all the country's hotel rooms. Part of the announcement was that the government would use up to 18 hotels, but this was soon increased to 26 by early July and 32 by early August. Three representatives of the
Defence Force,
Corrections, and
Police undertook a review of the managed isolation system at the end of June. They found that little pre-planning had been done, with a Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) unit created as part of the COVID-19 All-of-Government Response Group on 20 March, without a lead agency assigned to have ultimate responsibility. For example, agencies involved prescribed different policies for personal protective gear for their staff. There was little government oversight of arriving passengers when they transferred through the arrival halls, with a risk of travellers meeting their family or even absconding. Some travellers found out that there is mandatory quarantine in New Zealand after they had cleared customs. There was initially little coordination with airlines, with passenger manifests provided only hours before planes arrived in New Zealand; this sometimes put strains on logistics, with last-minute decisions which hotel passengers would be sent to. The compulsory second test did sometimes not arrive in a timely manner, which meant that rooms did not become available, hindering planning for accommodating new guests. In mid-June,
Air Commodore Darryn Webb and
Housing Minister Megan Woods were given joint responsibility for overseeing isolation and quarantine facilities. Woods and Webb announced a number of operational changes two days after the review was received. On 14 July 2020, the
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) assumed responsibility for running the country's Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) system. From 5 October, anyone entering New Zealand was required to book a place at a MIQ facility using the Government's online Managed Isolation Allocation System. On the day of its launch,
Stuff reported that the Managed Isolation Allocation System's website had collapsed with numerous people reporting trouble making bookings. From 12 am on 5 November, anyone entering New Zealand was legally required to show a voucher proving that they had secured a place in an MIQ facility before flying. On 12 November, it was reported that MIQ guests at the Grand Millennium hotel in Auckland Central had mingled with residents of Vincent Residences after a fire alarm at the hotel earlier in the week. Following reports of a community transmission at Vincent Residences, Director of Public Health Dr
Caroline McElnay said the alarm was not the likely cause of the community transmission because the case was already asymptomatic at the time. In addition, Air Commodore Darryn Webb disputed reports that MIQ guests had mingled with Vincent Residences.
2021 On 28 January 2021, the Pullman Hotel in Central Auckland was identified as the centre of an outbreak that had seen four people test positive for a South African strain. In response, COVID-19 Response Minister
Chris Hipkins announced that the managed isolation facility would not be accepting new returnees and that remaining residents would have their stays extended. The Minister also confirmed that health authorities were investigating the causes of this new outbreak. On 29 January, a mother whose two daughters had stayed at the Pullman Hotel criticised lapses in protocols and safety including returnees mingling and playing contact sports, which she blamed for causing one of her daughters to contract COVID-19. On 2 March 2021, the Government confirmed that it would be raising managed isolation booking fees for temporary visa holders by more than NZ$2,000 from 25 March. This price hike was criticised by the Migrant Workers Association's spokesperson Anu Kaloti and migrants residing in New Zealand with relatives overseas. On 22 March,
Radio New Zealand and
The New Zealand Herald reported that the Managed Isolation and Quarantine system was receiving an average of 100 complaints a week due to lengthy wait-times; with people having to reserve rooms at least 16 weeks in advance. This led MIQ to consider a wait-list for peak times to manage the demand for places in MIQ. On 23 March, the New Zealand Government announced that it had raised the time needed for New Zealand permanent residents and citizens to stay in New Zealand without incurring MIQ fees from 90 days to 180 days. In addition, the Government raised the accommodation fees for temporary visa holders (including partners, spouses, legal guardians and children of returning New Zealanders) and migrant health workers; with $950 for an additional adult in a room and $475 for a child aged 3–17 for those travelling together. If travelling separately, the temporary entry class visa holder would be charged the higher fees of $5520 for the first or only person in a room, $2990 for an additional adult, and $1610 for an additional child. On 1 April, the Government confirmed that it would loosen rules for securing emergency spots in managed isolation; with the
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) stating that 100 more places in MIQ would be available each fortnight. This policy shift affected New Zealand citizens and residents applying to enter the country to see relatives with terminal illnesses and less than six months to live; citizens and residents who had travelled overseas to visit terminally ill relatives; citizens and residents of Pacific Islands countries requiring time-critical medical treatment in New Zealand that they couldn't receive at home; and those facing risks to their health and safety overseas. According to statistics released by the Health Ministry in early April 2021, there had been 117 imported cases from India in managed isolation since the start of February, compared with 17 from the United States and 11 from the United Kingdom. In response to this and the rising number of cases in India, the New Zealand Government announced that it would close the border to travellers from India between 4pm on 11 April (Sunday) and 28 April. This temporary travel ban would also affect New Zealand citizens and residents travelling from India. On 13 April, it was reported that nearly all security guards at MIQ facilities were recruited from private security firms despite the
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) deciding to employ its own security force following a privacy breach in August 2020. Following a recruitment drive by MBIE, it was reported that nearly 400 people had applied for 156 security officer vacancies at MIQ facilities. MBIE had also recruited 31 of 32 operations and security managers. On 10 May, the Government announced that 500 spaces a fortnight would be allocated over the next ten months for skilled and critical workers. This would include 300 workers under the
Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, with 2,400 expected to arrive by March 2022. Prior to that, ten percent of managed isolation places had been allocated to skilled and critical workers. Prime Minister Ardern confirmed that these spaces would include construction workers for the
Auckland City Rail Link and
Wellington's
Transmission Gully Motorway. In addition, COVID-19 Response Minister
Chris Hipkins said the travel bubble with Australia would allow more places in managed isolation to be allocated to skilled and critical workers. The joint leadership roles of MIQ changed in June when New Zealand Army Brigadier Rose King replaced Brigadier Jim Bliss at the conclusion of his secondment to MBIE. She joined Megan Main as Joint Head of MIQ. Following the New Zealand Government's suspension of the travel bubble with Australia at 11:59 pm on 23 July, the Government also confirmed that New Zealanders returning home from Australia except
New South Wales before 11:59 pm on 30 July would not have to go into managed isolation. Those returning from Australia after 30 July would have to go into managed isolation. On 2 August, Prime Minister Ardern announced that seasonal workers from
Tonga,
Samoa and
Vanuatu would be allowed to enter the country without having to undergo managed isolation from September 2021 onwards. This was to address the labour shortage in the agricultural and horticultural sector. Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu had reported low transmissions of COVID-19. On 22 August, the Government began voluntary home isolation of suspected and verified community cases with available quarantine capacity used primarily to house healthy and COVID-19 free returnees. On 25 August,
Radio New Zealand reported that the number of MIQ rooms available to returning New Zealanders had declined due to a cohorting system that was introduced in April and May 2021 to minimise the risk of users spreading COVID-19 to later users. Between 350 and 500 MIQ rooms each fortnight were set aside for large groups such as sports teams, seasonal and construction workers, and refugees. Other factors affecting the availability of rooms including maintenance, an increase in the number of emergency allocation rooms from 250 to 350, and people not turning up for MIQ bookings. On 1 September, COVID-19 Response Minister Hipkins confirmed that the Government had extended a pause on MIQ bookings to accommodate community cases from the Auckland August 2021 Delta outbreak. Hipkins also advised New Zealand expatriates abroad to cancel their holiday plans to return to New Zealand due to pressure on the MIQ system. On 2 September, the opposition
National Party proposed five changes to the MIQ system including banning bots and third party providers, creating a new points system to allocate space, the introduction of a waiting list, transparency over room release dates, and the establishment of a Kiwi Expat Advisory Group. A poll in September 2021 found the public overwhelmingly supported the elimination strategy – 85% of the population.. MIQ was one of the primary methods preventing introduction and subsequent community spread of Covid-19. On 27 September, Ardern announced that the Government would be launching a home isolation trial for 150 selected travellers. Expressions of interest would be open from 30 September to 8 December. Participants must be New Zealand residents. In addition, Ardern confirmed that the quarantine-free travel for Pacific
Recognised Seasonal Employer workers from
Vanuatu,
Samoa, and
Tonga would resume in early October to address the agricultural and horticultural sectors' demand for migrant workers over the summer period. In October 2021, the Delta variant began spreading widely in New Zealand with community cases quickly outpacing cases detected at the border. By 22 October, the country had recorded a record of 129 new community cases. On 4 October, the Government abandoned New Zealand's elimination strategy, citing its failure to contained the Delta variant outbreak that began in Auckland in August 2021. On 21 October, the Government confirmed that repatriation flights carrying New Zealand citizens who had been deported from Australia under Section 501(3A) of the Australian
Migration Act 1958 would resume in November 2021 following a three-month hiatus. The Government had contracted a designated MIQ facility to host these returnees. On 28 October, COVID-19 Response Minister Hipkins announced that international arrivals would only have to isolate for seven days from 14 November in an effort to free up about 1,500 rooms a month. From 8 November, fully vaccinated travellers from low-risk Pacific Island countries such as the Cook Islands would be eligible for quarantine-free travel. On 24 November, Hipkins announced that MIQ border restrictions would be eased in a three-stage process over 2022: • From 17 January, all fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other eligible travellers could travel to New Zealand from Australia without having to go through managed isolation and quarantine. • From 14 February, all fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other eligible travellers could travel to New Zealand from all other countries without having to go through MIQ. • From 30 April, all fully vaccinated foreign travellers could travel to New Zealand without having to go through MIQ. On 21 December 2021, Hipkins announced that the Government would be delaying the planned reopening of the country's border to the end of February 2022 in order to combat the spread of the
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. In addition, the length of stay at MIQ facilities for all travellers was raised to ten days, with no self-isolation component. Hipkins also announced that the Government would treat everyone on an international flight with a positive case as a close contact.
2022 On 18 January, Hipkins postponed the next MIQ lottery due to a tenfold increase in Omicron cases detected at the border. Grounded Kiwis member and Australian–based expatriate Maxine Strydom stated that the Government's decision would cause New Zealanders stranded abroad emotional and mental stress since many were facing expiring visas and job losses. While health economist Professor Paula Lorgelly expressed disappointment with the suspension, she said that she understood the Government's decision, describing it as "a short-term pain for what I perceive to be quite a long-term gain." That same day,
Kiwiblog published a guest post by Auckland Barrister Tudor Clee outlining the method to enter New Zealand without obtaining an MIQ voucher prior. On 21 January,
Stuff reported that an online group for New Zealanders stranded overseas was suggesting that New Zealanders could skip the MIQ process by posing as transit passengers traversing through New Zealand. While the Head of MIQ operations Melissa Ross described attempts to enter the country without an MIQ voucher as "selfish acts" that would strain the country's MIQ system, the lawyer Arran Hunt argued that these returning travelers' actions were not illegal since Section 18 of the
New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 granted all New Zealand citizens the right to enter the country. On 3 February, Ardern announced that the country's borders would be reopened in five stages throughout 2022. Under this arrangement, vaccinated New Zealanders and eligible travellers would be able to go into self-isolation and undergo testing on arrival rather than having to enter MIQ: • 11.59pm, 27 February: Self-isolation opens for New Zealanders and eligible travellers coming from Australia. The self isolation period would last for ten days. • 11.59pm, 13 March: Open to New Zealanders and eligible travellers from the rest of the world; skilled workers earning at least 1.5x median wage; working holiday visa holders. The self isolation period would last for seven days. • 11.59pm, 12 April: Offshore temporary visa holders who still meet visa requirements; 5,000 international students; consideration of class exemptions for critical workers who do not meet the 1.5x median wage test. The self isolation period would last for seven days. • July: Anyone from Australia; visa-waiver travellers; the introduction of new Accredited Employer Work Visa, and the phasing out of skilled worker exemptions. • October: Border reopens to visa categories from the rest of the world. Unvaccinated travellers would still be required to go into MIQ facilities. While the Government planned to phase out MIQ and gradually convert facilities back into hotels and motels, it still planned to maintain a core quarantine capacity in the form of a
National Quarantine Service. In response to the Government's announcement,
University of Otago epidemiologist Professor
Michael Baker cautiously welcomed the self isolation provision but expressed concerns about supervision. University of Otago senior lecturer Dr Lesley Gray expressed support for a staged reopening since 94% of the population was double vaccinated but expressed concerns about safeguarding unvaccinated children and the vulnerable.
University of Canterbury professor Michael Plank opined that a staged border reopening would help mitigate the risk of a huge jump in cases. By contrast, Dr Emily Harvey, a senior consultant/researcher at Market Economics Ltd and principal investigator with Te Pūnaha Matatini, expressed concern that the proposed rapid antigen testing regime of doing two tests between six days was insufficient and would miss a large number of infections. The
National Party welcomed the planned reopening of the border while the
ACT party called for the abolition of MIQ. The
Green Party urged the Government to support
Māori and
Pasifika vaccination efforts while advocating for the free distribution of N95 or equivalent masks. On 17 February, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment amended the public health risk assessment tool to allow more people to be released from MIQ on compassionate grounds. These included more applications for allowing people travel between islands and approving applications featuring children. This amendment was approved by Director-General of Health
Ashley Bloomfield. On 28 February, Ardern announced that the New Zealand Cabinet had decided, based on advice from the epidemiologist
David Skegg's team, that vaccinated travellers entering the country would no longer need to self-isolate from 11.59pm on 2 March. This decision was balanced with other factors including the gradual reopening of New Zealand's borders and rising community cases. All travellers would be required to undergo rapid antigen testing within 24 hours and on the fifth or sixth day of their arrival. In addition, the Government accelerated its plans to reopen the border. New Zealanders and other eligible critical workers would be able to enter the country from 11:59pm on 4 March. Due to immigration processes, non-New Zealanders on temporary visas including working holiday visa holders and Recognised Seasonal Employer workers who were part of the second stage of the Government's reopening plan would be eligible to enter New Zealand from 13 March without having to self-isolate. Prior to the Government's announcement, the advocacy group "Grounded Kiwis (which represented New Zealanders stranded abroad by border restrictions) had questioned the rationale for retaining the MIQ system in the light of rising community cases. On 10 March, Hipkins announced that all but four of the country's 32 MIQ facilities would revert to being hotels by the end of June 2022. Four MIQ facilities would remain for those needing to undergo managed isolation. Hipkins indicated that the Government had plans to maintain some managed isolation capacity in the form of either hotels or purpose-built quarantine facilities. On 3 May 2022, Hipkins announced that unvaccinated visa holders, permanent residents, and Australian citizens residing in New Zealand would be able to travel to and from the country without having to undergo MIQ. He justified the New Zealand Government's decision on the basis of the lower health risks of overseas transmission and New Zealand's high vaccination rate. That same day, MBIE confirmed that the country's four remaining MIQ facilities in Auckland and Christchurch would close by August 2022 due to the low number of people using them. The Head of MIQ, Andy Milne, justified the closure on the basis that people entering New Zealand were no longer required to enter MIQ. According to
1News, there were only 94 people using 54 rooms across the four facilities in early May 2022. In mid-December 2022,
Newsroom reported that two New Zealand citizens who entered New Zealand on transit tickets in January 2022 had been subject to enforcement by Police and fined $1000. Barrister Tudor Clee defended the case
pro bono and the fines were dismissed by the Court. The Court ruled that they were legally entitled to enter the country as New Zealand citizens. That same month,
Newshub reported that the New Zealand Government had considered charging citizens using the transit method to enter New Zealand with an imprisonable offence of up to six months in jail or a NZ$12,000 fine. Prime Minister Ardern had defended the consideration of imprisonment on the grounds that those using the transit method were causing "so much distress for those already using the system." After the media broke the story about people entering New Zealand via the "transit route," the Government panicked, and a panel consisting of Crown Law, multiple ministries and advisors accepted that they could not stop the route. ==List of managed isolation hotels==