Coronavirus: Whangaparāoa residents want more info on quarantine at NZDF site

Tuesday, 4 February 2020

The Government chose Defence Force land, about 40km north of downtown Auckland, to house coronavirus refugees.

Whangaparāoa residents want more information from the Government over its decision to house 70 Kiwis in their neighbourhood who have been evacuated from China due to coronavirus.

A New Zealand Defence Force facility in the suburb, in north Auckland, will become home to New Zealand citizens evacuated from the city of Wuhan this week.

The flight is expected to touch down in Auckland and the evacuees will then be taken by bus to the facility, where they will be quarantined for 14 days.

At this stage there is no evidence any of them have the potentially deadly virus, but some local residents have concerns, including Army Bay resident Doug Crosslands.

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'I've just come out of hospital due to cancer and they told me to stay away from anyone with a virus,' Crosslands said.

'I've just had 30 days of radiation, so I'm supposed to stay isolated myself.'

His wife Denise said she had only heard about the use of the Whangaparāoa site in the news.

The New Zealand Defence Force facility in Whangaparāoa, on Auckland's Hibiscus Coast, which has been chosen as a quarantine site for Kiwis re-entering the country from Wuhan.

'They should keep us more informed instead of just announcing it.'

The facility is currently used as a naval firing range and can accommodate up to 150 people, including staff.

The Defence Force has denied media access to the site.

Wayne Walker, the councillor for the Albany ward, said the site was fit for purpose and he was sure the Ministry of Health would handle the situation well.

The NZDF facility is surrounded by the Shakespear Regional Park.

However, 'I think the people need to be informed about this and how they are going to ensure there is no contact', he said.

'The majority of people in the area have never seen the facility.'

The site is isolated and surrounded by the Shakespear Regional Park.

It is at the end of a peninsula and gated, Walker said.

The Ministry of Health did not answer specific questions from Stuff about whether there was a need to provide local residents with more information.

Instead, a spokesperson referred to a statement from Health Minister David Clark on Sunday which stated the camp had been chosen because of its size and facilities, as well as its 'secure nature' and location.

It also has its own medical facilities.

'During the isolation period the returnees will receive daily medical checks. Families will be kept together where possible, but will remain isolated from other returnees,' the statement said.

'Efforts will be made to ensure they can maintain as normal a life as possible while in isolation: working remotely, meeting education needs for children and providing for leisure activities.'

Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said there was a chance some of the people going into quarantine would have coronavirus.

'We also know that the numbers of cases in mainland China, and particularly still in Wuhan and Hubei province, are increasing quite rapidly, so there's a greater risk they will have been exposed, so that's why we're ensuring they're isolated for the 14 days.'