31 Jan 2021

Covid-19: WorkSafe takes enforcement action against four managed isolation facilities

1:08 pm on 31 January 2021

WorkSafe took enforcement action against four managed isolation facilities last year after reviewing their health and safety measures.

The Grand Millennium Hotel, which is being used as a managed isolation facility, in Auckland CBD.

A managed isolation staffer was fired after an illicit rendezvous with an isolated returnee at the Grand Millennium in Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook

The agency says the assessments focused on the effectiveness of risk management and controls, the use of protective equipment, worker engagement, participation and representation.

Letters were issued to the four hotels in relation to the breaches.

WorkSafe says it is satisfied the matters were attended to promptly and remedied by the hotel management.

In last year's nationwide lockdown, WorkSafe said its staff carried out close to 2500 on site assessments related to Covid-19.

Minister for Covid-19 Response Chris Hipkins last week denied standards were slipping at the facilities after a managed isolation staffer lost their job due to an illicit rendezvous.

Hipkins described the incident at the Grand Millennium in central Aucklandgran as a "one-off" and said the staffer had been sanctioned.

However at the same briefing Hipkins admitted that there was "something going on at the Pullman".

There have been three Covid-19 cases where guests caught the virus while staying at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland.

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