Compassionate exemptions suspended
‘‘Compassionate exemptions should be rare and rigorous and it appears that this case did not include the checks that we expected to be happening. Health Minister David Clark
The Government is suspending all compassionate exemptions at the border.
Health Minister David Clark announced the move after two women who travelled from the United Kingdom, tested positive for Covid-19, after being given a compassionate exemption to leave a managed isolation facility.
They were allowed to travel to Wellington and tested positive after they arrived.
This broke New Zealand’s casefree streak of 24 consecutive days.
Clark said he has required director general of health Ashley Bloomfield to suspend compassionate exemptions from managed isolation, in order to ensure the system is working as intended. It would only be reinstated once the Government had confidence in the system.
‘‘Compassionate exemptions should be rare and rigorous and it appears that this case did not include the checks that we expected to be happening. That’s not acceptable,’’ Clark said.
‘‘Our border measures are a key line of defence against Covid19 and we must ensure they are as robust as possible."
Bloomfield will be reviewing the processes around these latest two cases, noting that he had already made it a requirement that all individuals must return a negative Covid test before leaving managed isolation facilities from now on.
‘‘I have asked the director general to consider if there are any other measures we can put in place to strengthen our health protections at the border,’’ Clark said. ‘‘New Zealand remains in an enviable position and the risk to the public remains very low – but as health minister I want to ensure we are doing all that we can to keep Covid-19 at bay."
There had been a previous challenge in the courts for the stringent approach, he said.
"However, to ensure Covid doesn’t easily get back into the country we need assurance our border measures are as tight as possible,’’ Clark said.
Earlier, Bloomfield said a new case was something officials hoped they wouldn’t get but was also something that was expected and planned for.
‘‘What I have asked for, from today, is that anyone released for compassionate exemptions are