What it's like in MIQ (+ pictures & videos)

September 14, 2021 Lizzie Snow

I recently spent 2 weeks in New Zealand's MIQ - managed isolation facility - and decided to write a blog post & make a YouTube video to show you what it's like, how I spent my time, and of course what the food was like!.

Essentially MIQ is a 2-week stay in a hotel (…but you end up going a bit crazy), so one of my entertainment tactics was making this blog post & video, along with art/yoga/snacks/and staring into space.

MIQ is one of the covid-19 elimination strategy precautions that NZ uses to keep coronavirus out. There are over 30 hotels dotted around the country. Overall I was pretty impressed with their organization and care throughout the entire process.

* All of this information is from my own experience of MIQ - the covid situation and management of it constantly changes. So please seek official information if you need it - this content is for entertainment purposes only *

What the food is like in MIQ

Three times a day there is a knock at your door and a bag of food is dropped. I actually really enjoyed the food, but wonder if that was partly because I eat plant-based (so…..really just various ways of serving vegetables/grains/legumes! And also probably prepared in much smaller quantities). From hearing other people’s MIQ experiences, it seems like the food can really vary depending on what hotel you end up at.

Breakfast is usually juice, milk, a main dish, bread & butter, and a piece of fruit.
Lunch is usually a salad of some sort, a main dish, a bottle of water, and a piece of fruit.
Dinner is usually a salad of some sort, a main dish, a piece of fruit, and sometimes dessert.

Here are some photos of the food in MIQ. I must admit my photos don’t make it look very appetizing…some meals were much better than others, but I promise it wasn’t bad!

What the MIQ hotel room was like

You are randomly placed in a hotel (there are over 30 dotted around the country, most in Auckland). Mine was near the airport in Auckland and it was actually quite nice - a big room, and most excitingly an outdoor patio area. Every room/hotel/experience will be different of course.

How I spent the time

A 2-week stay in a hotel sounds nice (…to an already pretty socially-isolated visual-artist!), and it was mostly pleasant….but I admit that second week starts to get blurry and I was feeling pretty restless. This wasn’t helped by my little dog being very sick only a kilometer away at home, I couldn’t get to him despite 2 covid vaccine doses & 11 negative covid tests!

One of my entertainment tactics was making this blog post & video, which was a nice creative outlet. I practiced yoga most days, did a lot of drawing, a fair bit of computer work, and also just lay around a lot. Spent quite a bit of time talking to friends on the phone (and scrolling TikTok). At times I ended up getting fixated on the next meal being dropped off which wasn’t a very nice routine so I tried to keep busy and make the most of this 2 week opportunity. I was very lucky to have an outdoor area for my morning coffee, bird watching, drawing sessions, and just to have a change of scene!

Walks, covid tests, interactions outside the hotel room

In normal circumstances, I think you’re allowed to go on 1 walk per day (once your day-1 covid test comes back negative). On my flight there was someone that had covid… so I had to stay isolated in my room for an extra …5 days I think? I can’t even remember now, felt like a really long time. When you are eventually allowed to go for a walk, you are taken to a fenced-off area and are supervised by security guards as you walk in a loop circuit for 40 minutes. It’s not as bad as it sounds - mostly just stoked to be outside and walking!

Covid tests are conducted every few days (for people who were potentially in contact with the virus). A lot less if you haven’t had any close contacts. Those up-the-nose tests are quite painful! Always great to hear that you have a negative result though. You get a phone call in your room to invite you to walk down to the testing area, and they call again the next day with your results. Once a day you receive a phone call where they ask you about your symptoms and how you’re feeling. You also get a knock at the door where they take your temperature daily.

Other than walking and covid tests, there are no interactions outside your hotel room. It’s organized really well and you truly stay isolated.

The best part

Forced relaxation

The worst part

The intercom loudspeaker that would blare 5+ times per day. Kind of funny, but not so much by the end! (check out the video below to hear snippets..)

The YouTube Vlog

Below is the video!

14-day milestones of MIQ

Here’s what the 14 days of MIQ involved:

DAY 0
You are transported from the airport to your hotel by bus. At the hotel, you are given a health and wellbeing assessment and hotel check-in (but not the normal kind!). You have your first covid test within 24 hours and you have to stay in your room until you get your negative test result the next day.
DAY 1/2
On the first or second day, you get your covid test results. If your test is positive you get transferred to a quarantine facility. If your test is negative, you can start going on daily walks in the fenced-off exercise area.
DAY 3-4
On day 3 you have another covid test and receive the results the next day. You get called daily for a “daily health check” where they if you have symptoms. A nurse shows up once a day at your door to take your temperature.
DAY 5 - 11
Hang out & make do! At some point, they call you to discuss your travel plans for when you leave MIQ. I had a few extra covid tests (as well as the set day-1/3/12 tests) as someone on my flight tested positive for covid so I was considered a close contact.
DAY 12-13
On day 12 you have another covid test and receive the results the next day. Start packing up your things for leaving!
DAY 14
Last day of MIQ.