Grieving son in MIQ battle
Published date | 13 January 2022 |
Publication title | Southland Express |
After his December 29 plans to travel home were cancelled, he applied for an exemption on December 30 as the next MIQ room release was not until January 6.
As Mr Mitchell shared his situation with Westland Mayor Bruce Smith via a Zoom call, he said, ‘‘I’ve been looking at ways to get over for the funeral. It’s been hard. It’s really been impossible to get over there.
‘‘It seems the Prime Minister who has touted herself a compassionate person and the Government has no compassion for New Zealand citizens wanting to attend close family members’ funerals and just don’t get the difference between a family funeral and wanting to walk the Milford Track, one can wait but the other has a time restriction and is deeply personal,’’ he said in online comments to Mr Smith.
‘‘I am prepared to have tests before coming over but this doesn’t seem to matter as the Government wants to lock us up in a facility where there is an unacceptable risk of potential Covid-19 transmission,’’ he said.
In response to his MIQ exemption application, he only ever received generic and nameless emails which did not fully address his situation.
The responding email says, ‘‘...we are unlikely to approve applications under the exceptional circumstances category to attend a funeral or tangihanga where there may be multiple people gathered. This would create an unacceptable risk of potential Covid-19 transmission.’’
Mr Mitchell said the response was like ‘‘salt in the wound’’ as it came at the same time the news of a DJ infected with the omicron variant was granted entry into the country to attend a music festival.
‘‘That really made my blood boil. The Government aren’t being upfront with us here.
‘‘It hurts when they are letting other non-citizens in as essential workers.’’
He recognises his situation is not unique.
‘‘I feel for others that can’t go to their parents’ funerals. I feel for others that are stranded overseas who can’t get back to New Zealand.’’
However, in his return emails he had asked for some direction and ‘‘compassion in the system’’ on how he could support his family and attend the funeral to be a pallbearer, while still fulfilling quarantine entry obligations.
He believed his dealings with staff via email proved to be more obstructive than...
To continue reading
Request your trial