Does New Zealand need harsher punishments for managed isolation escapees?
Under the current COVID-19 laws, the maximum punishment for a breach is six months in prison or a $4000 fine.
But this hasn't stopped multiple people from breaking out of their facilities recently, putting the public at risk and enraging Kiwis.
On Friday a person in their 60s broke the window of the Waipuna Hotel in Auckland and climbed out of the building. They then scaled the fence and began to knock on the doors of neighbouring homes.
On Thursday Martin James McVicar allegedly absconded from the Distinction Hotel in Hamilton before going to nearby liquor store and reportedly buying a four-pack of Leffe Blonde and a bottle of pinot noir.
On Tuesday, a 32-year-old man snuck through a gap in the Stamford Plaza fencing and visited an inner-city supermarket. The following day he tested positive for COVID-19.
And last Saturday a woman scaled two fences to escape from Auckland's Pullman Hotel. She was out of isolation for more than an hour.
Should we have stronger punishments to deter people from escaping? Vote in the poll below.
