Coronavirus: Health Minister David Clark frustrated over quarantine mess

Wednesday, 17 June 2020

Health Minister David Clark expressed his frustration with lax quarantine facilities in a phone call to director-general Ashley Bloomfield last night.

Clark said it had been his understanding no one left managed isolation facilities before being tested for the coronavirus.

“That was my understanding of what would be happening,' Clark told Newstalk ZB on Wednesday.

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**

Instead, two women who had Covid-19 were able to leave a managed isolation facility in Auckland and travel to Wellington for a funeral.

The cases were revealed on Tuesday.

Clark said he called Bloomfield on Tuesday night, telling him to suspend the compassionate exemptions to quarantine rules.

'It's pretty clear I'm unhappy with the situation and I want this fixed' Clark said.

'I have expressed my frustration – the director-general is absolutely committed to putting this right.'

The minister said he had told Bloomfield any compassionate exemptions would be put on hold until the Government had confidence in the system.

'He had a very clear message from me that this was going to be suspended,' Clark said.

'I am quite confident the people that made this mistake won't be making it again.'

National leader Todd Muller said he was 'furious' over the breaches.

'I'm as furious as most New Zealanders this morning,' Muller said.

'This is clumsy and inappropriate, considering what’s at stake here.

“We have systems that should be followed, and they weren't.'