Families and flatters are worried about how they will effectively manage self-isolation as Omicron takes hold in the community.
People are urged to prepare for self isolating at home. Photo: Supplied
The government is predicting hundreds of thousands of people will have to self-isolate at home as Omicron spreads.
It is urging people to prepare by figuring out how they can isolate infected flatmates or family members from the rest of the household.
It seems for some that is going to be a challenge.
Current guidelines say everyone who catches the virus and everyone who lives with them, as well as their close contacts, will need to self-isolate.
The government is pushing for people to plan for that.
"Think about how you could set up your home to minimise Covid-19 spreading. Draw a map of your home and mark out your zones, for example shared areas, isolation areas, and a sanitising station."
"The way that the flat works with the kitchen, bathrooms and entranceways, there is no way of really avoiding each other"
One Wellington renter said effective self-isolation would be impossible in her house of five people.
"We kind of came to the conclusion that if one of us gets it, all of us are probably going to end up catching it all at the same time.
"The way that the flat works with the kitchen, bathrooms and entranceways, there is no way of really avoiding each other."
Based on experience flatting in other houses, lots of people would be in the same situation, she said.
A Feilding mother said the idea of hiding in your room alone seemed far from reality.
"At home I don't think it would be possible for us, it would be very hard to hide from my three younger children.
"My husband would have to handle it all as well as looking after me."
It was frightening that the only option seemed to be to catch the virus together, she said.
"It's so scary and knowing that it just wouldn't work makes the thought of it even worse."
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, which is in charge of managed isolation, said people in the community who caught Covid-19 were directly managed by a local public health unit.
From there they would receive instructions and advice specific to their situation - but for the most part it would involve home isolation.
People who are close contacts also must isolate for 10 days. Anyone close contacts live with is considered a 'secondary close contact' and must stay at home until the primary close contact gets a negative test on day five.
Auckland health provider The Fono chief executive Tevita Funaki said his organisation had seen first-hand how some families struggled with home isolation.
"We ran into it during the Delta outbreak, where they were trying to isolate, the tension within the family for those who were positive was almost like neglect.
"Some were actually isolating in the car, while others were outside in the garage with no facilities."
Now it was known what families needed to do if they must isolate, Funaki's suggestion was to plan early.
The Unite Against Covid-19 website also has advice on how to prepare for isolation.
The government said people should arrange a buddy who could deliver food and other supplies if they were forced to stay home and, with cases predicted to go into the thousands per day, people should prepare now.