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Russian fishing crews believed to be at the centre of a covid outbreak at an isolation facility had all tested negative and spent fourteen days isolating in their own homes before boarding a charter flight to New Zealand, according to one of the companies employing them.
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that 11 people have tested positive for the virus at the Sudima Hotel in Christchurch and 14 other cases are under investigation after routine day three testing.
It's understood that Russian and Ukranian fishing crews who arrived in the country last Friday are the only guests at the hotel that is currently locked down.
Sealord is one of three companies that brought the replacement deep sea fishing crews to New Zealand.
Lisa Owen asked chief executive Doug Paulin what he had been told about the situation, and we cross to RNZ's Sally Murphy, outside the Sudima Hotel in Christchurch.
Checkpointed requested interviews with the Minister in charge of MIQ, Megan Woods, the Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield. the Minister for Health Chris Hipkins, the Operations manager for MIQ Air Commodore Webb, and also the manager of the Sudima Hotel. All of them declined.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health said: "Managed Isolation and Quarantine can confirm the facility is well set up to respond and is working with local health authorities.
"This is an example of our Managed Isolation and Quarantine system working as it should. We have planned for this and we have confidence in our systems. As a precaution the facility has been locked down with guests confined to their rooms while preparations for quarantining is undertaken.
"Additional security and nursing staff will be deployed and a special staff testing station will be established, this is to ensure safeguards are in place for staff and returnees. The workforce at this facility are dedicated to this site and do not work at other sites.
"The hotel functions as both an isolation and quarantine facility and operates constantly at an Alert Level 4 environment. Protocols approved by Public Health and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) specialists to ensure the safety of staff and returnees include physical distancing, regular and thorough cleaning in strict adherence to health guidelines, comprehensive information and guidance on PPE use such as masks and gloves, basic hygiene practices and daily health checks.
"Facilities also have their own specific security processes. This includes preventing entry of members of the public, minimising resident movement throughout the facility, maintaining resident safety and ensuring physical distancing is maintained."