Covid 19 coronavirus: Ministry of Health mandatory isolation review too late for an applicant

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A review by the Health Ministry of previously rejected requests to leave compulsory isolation early on compassionate grounds has come too late for an applicant, after his relative passed away before authorities could review the decision a second time.

Under measures to stop the spread of Covid-19, all citizens and residents entering New Zealand (our borders are closed to foreigners) must spend 14 days in government-controlled isolation.

But some of those who arrived asked the ministry to leave early for compassionate reasons, including to be with dying relatives.

The ministry came under fire this week after it was revealed that all 32 requests for exemption from compassionate-administered isolation had been rejected.

Among those rejected was Oliver Christiansen, who successfully challenged the decision in Superior Court. He was able to spend 36 hours with his dying father, Anthony Christiansen, after Judge Tracey Walker said the ministry was wrong.

Judge Walker’s decision sparked widespread condemnation of the ministry’s decision-making and the ministry began a review of the decisions.

On Friday night, the ministry announced the results of the review. Five rejected applications were canceled and 14 remained unchanged.

Two other applicants had already completed the administered isolation when the review began, while one person had withdrawn their application, the ministry said.

A ministry spokeswoman confirmed today that an application had been withdrawn because the applicant’s relative had died. Details about the case are not known.

The Herald reported this week on Los Angeles-based Kiwi Rachel Henderson, who was urgently seeking an exemption from mandatory isolation to be with her seriously ill father.

Henderson told the Herald today that his father, Colin, had died at Christchurch Hospital.

She had not withdrawn her application and still intended to fly to New Zealand to make arrangements for her father, she said tonight.

The ministry spokeswoman also confirmed more details today on the five requests that have now been approved under the review.

“Three of the applicants were seeking isolation waivers to attend funerals. Two applicants were seeking an exemption to visit a dying relative.

“The relatives were still alive when the exemption was granted.”

The ministry was still waiting for more information from 10 people in support of their requests, five of whom are still abroad and have not yet traveled to New Zealand, the ministry said last night.

All requests were reviewed by a separate team based at the National Crisis Management Center, the ministry said.

“We conducted this review after the Superior Court case last week that reversed one of those decisions to ensure that the appropriate process had been followed for other similar exemption requests.

“In parallel, the Ministry of Health updated the process and criteria for requesting exemptions to ensure that they are explicit and take into account the results of the High Court ruling.”

They continued to receive a large number of new requests for exemptions and all would be processed according to the new criteria.

“Protecting the Covid-19 border remains a top priority as part of New Zealand’s overall phase-out strategy, and we will continue to carefully consider any requests for exemption from administered isolation.”

Some of those who said they cannot abandon early managed isolation have shared their stories with the media, including mining contractor Bernie Ryan.

Ryan told Radio New Zealand yesterday that he left Australia on Sunday after the condition of his wife Christine Taylor, who has terminal lung cancer, worsened and he was given hours to live.

Ryan is under controlled isolation at a hotel in Auckland, saying that despite showing no symptoms of illness and a letter of support from his GP, the Health Ministry had repeatedly rejected his request for a waiver.

“When I left [for Australia] To go to work, my wife was not doing well but was making progress … but things got worse. “

Her three “distraught” children were with Taylor in Christchurch yesterday, but they loved their father, Ryan told Radio New Zealand.

The Health Ministry said Ryan would have received a letter explaining why his request was rejected and his exemption team would contact him to explain more.

• Covid19.govt.nz – The official government Covid-19 advisory website