The Chief Ombudsman has been swamped with complaints about Managed Isolation and Quarantine.
Judge Peter Boshier's office has received more than 700 MIQ and border-related complaints since 1 July 2020,
Sixty-seven of those from people who have missed out on spots in the government managed facilities.
Chief Ombudsman Judge Peter Boshier talks to Lisa Owen.
In response, an MIQ spokesperson said in a statement: "It is not correct that our operating capacity is 2,500 with further ring-fencing as stated in the interview.
"The total room capacity in our managed isolation facilities is 4,500 rooms per 18-20 day cycle. The introduction of quarantine-free travel to Australia has reduced that capacity to 4,000 rooms. As part of managing any potential changes to quarantine-free travel, an additional 500 rooms per 18-20 day cycle (on top of MIQ’s usual operating contingency) are being held back.
“The introduction of cohorting means when looking at room availability, we need to consider an 18-20 day period as opposed to room occupancy on any single day. A cohorting cycle can be between 18-20 days – this accounts for the 4 days of infill, the 14 days isolation for the returnees and 1-2 days to clean before the next cohort."
