A man has been arrested after police say he entered an Auckland COVID-19 isolation facility to talk to a friend.

Police say just after midday on Friday the man went into a fenced-off area at the hotel and had some contact with an isolated returnee.

Police stationed on the site noticed him but he left as they approached him and fled in a vehicle.

After enquiries, officers found him the next morning at an address in Whangārei and arrested him.

The 33-year-old has been charged with failing to comply with a COVID-19 order, and is due to appear in Auckland District Court today.

Head of managed isolation and quarantine Air Commodore Darryn Webb says the returnee involved had tested negative on day three, and the arrested man will isolate as a precaution until the day 12 test comes back.

He says health officials determined the contact as low risk but it was nevertheless extremely disappointing.

In a similar incident last week, a woman was charged over entering an isolation facility in Rotorua.

Fire alarm at Wellington isolation hotel

Meanwhile, a managed isolation hotel in Wellington was evacuated when an automated fire alarm went off.

Fire and Emergency says the alarm went off at the Grand Mercure on The Terrace just before 7.30am today.

Shift manager Carlos Dempsey says there was no fire but the hotel was evacuated according to its procedure.

He says the fire crews followed standard operating procedures and would have ensured they wore suitable protective equipment when they attended the callout.

RNZ.