Returning New Zealand citizens and residents are required to stay in managed isolation. File photo / Brett Phibbs
Returning New Zealand citizens and residents are required to stay in managed isolation. File photo / Brett Phibbs
Five previously rejected applications for people to leave compulsory isolation to see dying relatives have been overturned under review.
The Ministry of Health announced tonight it had completed a review of 32 applications for an exemption from managed isolation on compassionate grounds.
Under measures to stop the spread of Covid-19 everyone entering New Zealand must spend 14 days in Government-controlled isolation.
However, some returning New Zealand citizens and residents - foreigners are currently barred from entering New Zealand - asked for exemptions so they could be with dying relatives.
All were initially turned down, including that of Oliver Christiansen, who successfully challenged the decision in the High Court. He was able to spend 36 hours with his dying father, Anthony Christiansen, after Justice Tracey Walker said the ministry got it wrong.
Justice Walker's decision sparked widespread condemnation of the ministry's decision-making.
The review followed that court case, the ministry wrote in an update on its website tonight.
"We undertook this review following the High Court case last week that overturned one such decision to ensure that the appropriate process had been followed for other similar applications for exemption.
"In parallel, the Ministry of Health updated the exemptions application process and criteria to ensure these are explicit and take into account the findings of the High Court judgement."
The applications were reviewed by a separate team based in the National Crisis Management Centre, the ministry wrote.
"When applying the same process used by the Ministry of Health, this team reached the same conclusions as the original decisions.
"The review, using the updated criteria, has yielded the following outcomes so far ... the original decision to decline their application was changed for five people ... for 14 people, the original decision to decline their application has been upheld. Those people will be required to complete their 14-day managed isolation."
They would continue to be supported, the ministry wrote.
Additionally, two people had already finished managed isolation when the review began, and one person had withdrawn their application.
The ministry were still waiting for further information from 10 people in support of their applications, five of whom are still overseas and yet to travel to New Zealand.
"We continue to receive a large number of new applications for an exemption from managed isolation from people arriving in New Zealand. These are all being processed according to the new criteria.
"Protecting the border from Covid-19 remains a top priority as part of New Zealand's overall elimination strategy and we will continue to look very carefully at any request for an exemption from managed isolation."
The five people whose rejected applications were now overturned can leave managed isolation and have an agreed self-isolation plan.
The ministry announcement came as another returning Kiwi pleaded for to be allowed out of quarantine to be with a dying relative.
Mining contractor Bernie Ryan left Australia on Sunday after the condition of his wife Christine Taylor, who has terminal lung cancer, worsened. She has been given hours to live, he told Radio New Zealand.
He is under managed isolation at a hotel in Auckland, and said despite showing no illness symptoms and a letter of support from his GP, the Ministry of Health had repeatedly refused his request for exemption.
"When I departed [for Australia] to go to work, my wife was unwell but she was making progress ... but things turned for the worst."
His three "distraught" children are with their Taylor, but want their dad, Ryan told Radio New Zealand.
He was willing to travel with Personal Protective Equipment and maintain physical distancing, and had cried when told it was impossible for him to go to Christchurch.
"Well, I'm a proud Kiwi, we're the best country in the world, just [show] some compassion ... instead of these generic emails I've been getting, what about just some compassion?"
The Ministry of Health told Radio New Zealand Ryan would've received a letter explaining why his application had been declined. Its exemptions team would contact him to explain further.
