A Kiwi epidemiologist is warning New Zealand must learn from Melbourne's handling of quarantine hotels before it is too late.
Professor Tony Blakely is concerned that the governments use of hotels here will increase the risk of an outbreak.
His comments come as 3000 Melbourne residents are locked down in over-crowded tower blocks due to a surge in Covid-19 cases.
The residents are unable to leave their homes for 5 days and at least 500 police officers are on patrol to enforce the strict rules.
These severe measures follow systematic failures at Melbourne's quarantine hotels.
Guards at these facilities are believed to have spread Covid-19 into the community.
Professor Tony Blakely is a Public Health Medicine Specialist at the University of Melbourne.
