The Covid-19 Response Minister has defended his decision to keep MIQ facilities open despite receiving advice from health officials back in November that they were no longer necessary.
Documents seen by 1News show Dr Caroline McElnay wrote to Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield saying the risk posed by international arrivals transmitting Covid-19 was no longer higher than the domestic transmission risk of the virus. As a result, MIQ was no longer justified.
Chris Hipkins said that initial advice was reviewed, and the final recommendation was to phase out MIQ over time.
Then Omicron arrived, forcing further delays, he said.
"We delayed the re-opening of the border [and] the removal of MIQ in order to make sure we could get our booster rates up.
"That was a decision that saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reiterated Hipkins' comments on Wednesday.
"Actually, the advice received is that it [MIQ] was needed past November. There was internal advice that when peer reviewed, came through to Cabinet and we adopted [that advice]," Ardern said from Singapore.
But the revelations have sparked frustration among some, including former MIQ resident Kurt Lehndorf, who went on a hunger strike to get out of his managed isolation facility.
He was desperate to see his dying father, and was eventually granted release from MIQ after going 60 hours without food.
READ MORE: Man allowed to see dying father after 60-hour MIQ hunger strike
"I'm numb and the numbness is probably holding back anger," he said.
"Many people at the same time as myself had to sit in quarantine, had to watch loved ones die over Facetime," Lehndorf told 1News.
National Party Leader Christopher Luxon said the Government needed to reach out to all those who faced similar situations.
"It's up to the Government to go back to those people who were actually in a very tragic set of circumstances to explain what was going on."
Hipkins said he sympathised with those who couldn't see dying relatives, but said the decision to keep MIQ operating was crucial.
"The Government has always recognised that the restrictions at the border have had a significant impact on people at the border, but they have also been the reason why we have the lowest rates of deaths of Covid-19, on a population basis - in the developed world. MIQ has served us incredibly well."
Epidemiologist Professor Rod Jackson agreed with the Government's approach and said it would have been a mistake to rely on home-isolation.
"I think we would have seen much greater spread of Omicron, much more quickly. It was a very sensible decision.
"For most New Zealanders [in November] Covid was a non-issue and I'm not convinced that people would have taken home isolation seriously."
The latest controversy has flared up just as MIQ facilities around the country wind down, with just seven facilities still operating.
Ngati Whātua Ōrākei are conducting karakia at all the Auckland-based MIQ facilities before they officially revert back to hotels.
"This is our way showing our manaaki and our aroha to those that worked over the those hotels for the last two years," chair Marama Royal said.
"All the hotels we're doing are on our whenua, so for us it's our responsibility as kaitiaki to ensure that the wairua and mauri is returned to it's former state."
By June, just four MIQ facilities across the country will remain.
Royal said New Zealanders should be grateful for the contribution MIQ workers made to our Covid-19 response.
"From us, from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, a big mihi to them and big thank you. Not only for looking after our manuhiri but looking after our whenua and our city."
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