Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced further measures to protect New Zealand against Covid-19 as the world enters a "dangerous new phase".
The grieving family of slain policeman Matthew Hunt will have to wait at least 14 days to hold the funeral for the fallen officer, as relatives are forced to quarantine for that period.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern today confirmed Constable Hunt's family who arrived from overseas and were taken to Rotorua for mandatory quarantine will have to complete the 14-day period before they can get out.
Hunt's devastated mother Diane was further upset by the fact her brother and sister-in-law have been sent to managed isolation in Rotorua - 220km from Auckland.
The family has requested transfer to Auckland as well as a compassionate exemption to quarantine rules.
Ardern this afternoon sympathised with the plight of the family but said there is an expectation that the quarantine period will be completed by everyone.
Even in the case of compassionate exemptions, when these were allowed, Ardern said there was an expectation that people would have to complete seven days of quarantine.
The border restrictions and quarantine rules are said to be adding extra grief to the family.
Police Association president Chris Cahill said the couple "want to be there for [Diane] and she needs them there. It's really adding to the level of grief and frustration she's feeling at the moment".
Compassionate exemptions were suspended following the two confirmed cases of coronavirus of the women who arrived from the UK and travelled to Wellington to attend a funeral.
"There's two sides to that whole [quarantine] issue but they are clearly upset by that," he told the Herald.
Photo / Alex Burton
"A week ago, [maybe] we could've done something. Whether there's some other way of forming some sort of family bubble that protects them but also protects the rest of New Zealand, I don't know the answer. But certainly it's tough for them to have to deal with that added issue on top of their grief," Cahill said.
It's understood another close family member is also due to arrive from India but they will also need to go into managed isolation before joining the grieving family.
Waitematā police district commander Superintendent Naila Hassan confirmed to RNZ this morning that relatives' isolation requirements would delay Hunt's funeral.
"It's really difficult for the family coming into managed isolation," Hassan said.
Constable Matthew Hunt was fatally shot in Massey on Friday. Photo / NZ Police
"I have been speaking to the family directly, I do have liaison officers assigned to specific family as they come in to the country. We are doing everything we can as an organisation to be the best we can be within the restrictions and the role we have as New Zealand Police.
"I understand they are in Rotorua, to say whether they're okay is probably not my position, you can imagine they'd rather be here. They'd rather be with the family that is here."
