Kaleb Evers (left) and his brother Zac have been denied travel through Auckland to attend a burial ceremony for their grandmother in Wellington. Photo / supplied
Kaleb Evers (left) and his brother Zac have been denied travel through Auckland to attend a burial ceremony for their grandmother in Wellington. Photo / supplied
A Northland family are desperate to get "closure" after their application to travel through Auckland to attend a burial ceremony for their grandmother was denied.
Kerikeri resident Kaleb Evers applied to the Ministry of Health for an exemption to travel through Auckland's Covid-19 level 3 checkpoints to spend time with family in Wellington before the burial service.
Evers' grandmother died on September 2 last year, but only a small funeral was held due to "bad family timing".
Now that everyone can attend, Evers and his brother, father, stepmother and stepsister were hoping to gather with other family members in the Capital and bury her ashes on the anniversary of her death.
Auckland has been under level 3 restrictions and the rest of New Zealand in level 2 since August 12 when fresh cases of the virus were confirmed.
These alert levels will remain in place until August 26.
Meanwhile, travel through Auckland is heavily restricted.
People can only travel through the city if they are returning to their primary home, accessing medical services, maintaining a shared childcare arrangement or relocating a home or business.
Individuals and businesses can apply for an exemption in exceptional circumstances, though the Evers' family were declined for a family burial service. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Individuals and businesses can apply for an exemption in exceptional circumstances.
However, Evers recently received an email from the Ministry of Health's Covid-19 policy response exemptions team, which said:
"The director general of health is unable to provide exemptions to people travelling in and out of Auckland for the purpose of transporting the deceased or attending funerals or tangihanga.
"Domestic travel restrictions are critical to ensuring we reduce the transmission of the virus."
In his application, Evers promised to stay on the Auckland motorway on both legs of the trip and not make any stops.
He said there needs to be a "system at the border" to allow Northlanders through, such as a seal or sticker over the car doors which would prove they had remained shut throughout the journey.
"If Auckland stays at level 3 it's unfair to stop Northlanders transiting through Auckland," he said.
"Meanwhile if we were to go through Auckland airport, we would be in contact with everyone who works there. Let alone how much it costs.
"Yesterday I looked and it was $3000 for five people verses a couple of hundred dollars for petrol. We can scrape it [the airfare] together but it's just ridiculous."
Evers sent in another application on Wednesday but has yet to receive a reply.
Northland MP Matt King said the checkpoints are "a farce".
The Ministry of Health has been approached for comment, but did not respond before deadline.
Northland MP Matt King said the checkpoints are "a farce".
"I've spoken to people who have rocked up to a checkpoint with no explanation or justification for crossing the border," he said.
"One guy said he'd been to Taupō with a mate on a road trip and went through the checkpoints and they [police] waved them through.
"The border control is so lax they're letting anyone through, yet they deny someone who applied through official channels.
"These are law-abiding people who went to the trouble of getting permission and they're being stopped from something really personal for them."
On Tuesday, Kaipara mayor Dr Jason Smith called for solutions to Northland being cut off from the rest of the country following the latest Covid outbreak.
Many businesses have reported a drop in revenue since Auckland moved back to level 3.
