3 Jun 2021

MIQ hotel investigation released: Ventilation fixes incomplete

From Checkpoint, 5:09 pm on 3 June 2021

An MIQ security guard lied nine times about having Covid-19 tests when he had not, according to reviews into two incidents at two isolation hotels.

The investigations into outbreaks in March and April at the Grand Mercure and the Grand Millennium were released today.

In both cases aerosol transmission is blamed for the spread, although it is not proven.

Yet improvements to the hotel ventilation systems are still to be completed.

The reports also show months into managing MIQ, basic infection controls like social distancing, wearing masks, worker health checks and mandatory testing regimes were not always being followed.

And it was deficiencies with the computerised Border Workforce Testing Register that meant the security guard's deceit was not detected.

Louise Ternouth reports.