Mounting concern for the safety and wellbeing of elderly rest home residents has sparked an investigation by the Chief Ombudsman.
The targeted inspections that will begin over the next few days have been welcomed by Age Concern, which says there are important lessons to be learned.
Six people have died of Covid-19 at Burwood Hospital so far, with expectations more will follow.
Infection has been detected in more than 90 patients in five aged residential care facilities between Auckland and Christchurch.
"It pricks my conscience," Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier says.
"The public has the right to have someone such as the Ombudsman there to have a look. It's really what is fundamental to our role."
He's rolling out an expert team to inspect facilities in lockdown to check on the vulnerable who have no voice in this unprecedented pandemic.
Yesterday showed the first signs that a closer look at aged care was needed.
"We've seen just how tricky this virus is and that it can spread quite rapidly so we think it's a very good point in time to undertake a review," Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said yesterday.
Age Concern says it's timely.
"It's really important we protect the most vulnerable in our society. The alarming reality is we're seeing those clusters of cases now in aged care facilities, so we welcome it," chief executive Kevin Lamb says.
"We should be pleased to see action's been taken now. In an ideal world, action should've been taken some time ago, but that would've been with the benefit of hindsight."
Mr Boshier is keeping the visits low-key and not saying which homes will be visited and when - just that homes across the country will be visited, and not only "problematic ones".
He's also not ruling out recommendations on current rules that are seeing the elderly dying alone.
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