The joint head of MIQ has confirmed that a member of the security staff at the Jet Park MIQ hotel was spat on by a person staying at the facility.
In a statement, joint head of MIQ Chris Bunny said the incident occurred at 11:49am on Friday.
He said the staff member was wearing appropriate PPE and has been placed in isolation.
Stuff is reporting that the person that spat on the staff member is a COVID-positive woman who is flagged as a higher-risk guest at Jet Park due to her gang links.
"The staff member showered immediately after the incident and is currently in isolation," Bunny says. "The person involved is being tested for COVID-19.
"If they test negative, the staff member will be able to leave isolation and return to work. If they test positive, the staff member will need to isolate for seven days from the date of exposure."
Bunny says that they're disappointed about the incident after successfully accommodating more than 190,000 returning New Zealanders and over 2740 positive community cases.
"We were very disappointed to hear of this incident," he says. "Everyone at MIQ is doing an incredibly important and sometimes very challenging job.
"The overwhelming majority of people staying in our facilities act responsibly, behave appropriately and are considerate of other people and staff."
Police are investigating the incident.
