Confirmation that the Crowne Plaza passed all its infection control audits, including as recently in June, beggars belief, National’s Covid-19 spokesperson Chris Bishop says.

MIQ officials before the Health Select Committee this afternoon confirmed the last infection control audit for the Crowne Plaza was in June this year and no issues were raised about the two public walkways which may be the way that the Delta variant of Covid-19 made its way into the Auckland community, prompting the latest Level 4 countrywide lockdown.

“It takes just a quick look at the photos of the Crowne Plaza walkway next to the exercise area to realise how inappropriate it is. The walkway has a 2 metre Perspex barrier but there is no lid on it, meaning the air used by the public is the same as that in the exercise area.

“Likewise the public atrium area that the Sydney returnee area passed through is also inappropriate.

“It’s been obvious for months that Delta is incredibly contagious and we know from overseas that it has spread from people just walking next to each other. As Professor Michael Baker says, ‘anywhere the air can go, the virus can go’.

“It’s only now that the Government has commissioned a review into the appropriateness of MIQ facilities in light of the Delta variant. Why wasn’t this done months ago when Delta first started making its way around the world and showing up in our MIQ facilities?

“Government officials say they are working to identify who may have passed by the exercise area at the same time as a Covid-19 positive family went for a walk. The Government must leave no stone unturned to find these people as it is important we get to the bottom of how this outbreak occurred.”