Quarantine rules must put citizens first, surely

YOUR Covid19 update (ODT, 29.1.21) informs us that 12 travellers were released from the Pullman Hotel quarantine after potentially being exposed to Covid19 then went on to board aircraft to Sydney, Queensland and Hong Kong.

One assumes these travellers were paying in full for their stay in quarantine although their mere presence as a ‘‘transit’’ visitor precludes true returnees from the quarantine space they take. Hardly fair for those New Zealanders needing to get home after losing jobs and giving notice on accommodation.

On the same page of the ODT, we hear that the National Iwi Pandemic Response group is calling for the Government to reduce the current returnee rate by half.

The fairest method to achieve less demand is surely to restrict quarantine to New Zealand citizens, those who only have residency and have no fixed commitment to New Zealand hold citizenship elsewhere and are the responsibility of their own governments.

New Zealand citizenship needs to mean more than just being a cash cow for an oversubscribed quarantine operation for freeloaders.

Susan Broad

Outram