CPO GREG BISHELL
Navy in the nation’s fight against the global pandemic
With 32 Managed Isolation and Quarantine Facilities (MIQFs) to administer and 12 ports to monitor, the New Zealand Defence Force regularly rotates between 900 and 1,200 personnel throughout New Zealand as part of the All of Government response to COVID-19.
For Devonport Naval Base, this means providing personnel for the 18 hotels used for MIQFs across Auckland, as well as assisting NZ Customs at Auckland and Whangarei ports. The base’s involvement came early. In February its training facility at Whangaparaoa Peninsula – Tamaki Leadership Centre – became New Zealand’s first quarantine facility in modern times, welcoming 157 returnees from Wuhan, China, followed by a smaller number of returnees from cruise ship Diamond Princess. Following the closure of New Zealand’s borders in March, the Navy base has steadily supported the staffing of MIQFs in Auckland. Personnel are assigned for tasking, working one week on and one week off. Their roles are administrative, handling queries and issues, coordinating guest requirements and supervising All of Government evolutions. Alongside them are nurses, District Health Board staff, security, NZ Police, hotel staff and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and Ministry of Health (MoH) representatives.
Chief Petty Officer Weapon Technician Greg Bishell has been involved in the Auckland MIQFs since April, being among the first Navy personnel to help establish, administer and ultimately manage them. CPOWT Bishell worked hard alongside Warrant Officer Weapon Technician Keri Weeks to maintain his vision, to establish a fitfor-purpose structure to help eliminate the spread of COVID-19 whilst maintaining the health, safety and wellbeing of guests and staff. There’s a lot to deal with, but he says the week on, week off routine means he gets to “help my country, serve the Navy, and get plenty of quality time with my family. I’m happy wearing PPE and maintaining distancing. It’s all about personal responsibility, following the MoH guidelines and protocols at the end of the day”. His experience later led him to help set up the MIQFs at the Holiday Inn and Grand Millennium in Auckland. Additionally he had the opportunity to act as 2IC in a Regional Isolation and Quarantine Command Centre. “With increased people coming into the country, we needed more beds. We did some big days in there.”
Navy Today #249 | 13
