Photo: NZH fileFour of the five people who escaped from managed isolation in Hamilton last night have been been charged by police. Megan Woods, the minister in charge of managed isolation and quarantine facilities, said the absconders were putting New Zealanders at risk, calling them "incredibly irresponsible". "Our only chance of stopping community transmission of Covid-19 is by containing all potential cases at the border, and we are doing this successfully through our managed isolation system. Distinction Hamilton Hotel and Conference Centre is one of the government's 32 isolation facilities. Suzanne Marie Derrett, 43, was charged after she was accused of scaling two fences to escape the Pullman Hotel in Auckland on July 4.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 24, 2020 21:43 UTC