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It comes after three workers at the Grand Millennium recently tested positive for COVID-19 - a cleaner known as Case A, a security guard known as Case B and a close contact of his, Case C.
Last week it was revealed Case B hadn t been tested since November, when he should have been tested fortnightly. An investigation is underway into whether he lied to his employer about his testing record.
It also follows genome sequencing showing a link between two returnees at the Grand Mercure, despite the two arriving on different flights and staying in separate rooms on different floors of the facility.
Covid 19 coronavirus: Grand Millennium and Grand Mercure MIQ shutdown during investigation
19 Apr, 2021 05:00 AM
3 minutes to read
New Zealand returnees will not quarantine at the Grand Millennium or the Grand Mercure MIQ facilities for the near future following investigations into ventilation. Photo / File
New Zealand returnees will not quarantine at the Grand Millennium or the Grand Mercure MIQ facilities for the near future following investigations into ventilation. Photo / File
Epidemiologist Nick Wilson is branding the Government s shutdown of two managed isolation facilities as a slow response to a Covid-19 transmission risk known months ago.
Both the Grand Millennium and Grand Mercure managed isolation facilities in Auckland have been closed to further returnees following investigations into virus transmission through ventilation systems.
Grand Millenium MIQ facility in Auckland.
Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
It comes as an investigation begins into how Covid-19 was transmitted in those facilities.
Genome sequencing showed the virus spread between two returnees at the Grand Mercure, who arrived back on different flights, days apart.
At the Grand Millenium, a returnee, a cleaner and two security guards are in a single chain of transmission.
There are 224 isolating returnees across both hotels and once they all complete MIQ there will be a review of potential sources of spread at the facilities including the ventilation systems.
Bliss told
Checkpoint risks presented by the ventilation systems had always been assessed by health experts as being very low.