6 ms·

>"New Zealanders stranded overseas who are desperate to get home deserve answers." Is New Zealand not even allowing their own citizens to return to their home

>"New Zealanders stranded overseas who are desperate to get home deserve answers." Is New Zealand not even allowing their own citizens to return to their home country? Either way, as rich as he is; allowing a sick child to enter any country for emergency medical treatment is always the right thing to do in my books. The whole point of the covid restrictions is to save lives, and they could very well have just save his son's life for all we know. I am sure that the medevac paramedics and the hospital he was treated in took all of the right precautions to prevent him from spreading covid in New Zealand. I hope his son is better now.

plandis 5y ago
Taking your kid to Fiji in the middle of a pandemic just seems negligent to me. Sure, accept them for treatment but charge the parents with abuse.
- AYBABTME 5y ago
  How would the diplomacy work here between NZ and Fiji's government, if NZ was to rule that having/bringing kids in Fiji is negligence?
- chadash 5y ago
  According to the article, he has been "based" there. It doesn't seem like a vacation, so much as a place to isolate. Is it fair that Larry Page gets to go to Fiji to isolate while the rest of us are at home? No. But it's not exactly irresponsible either (from a health perspective).
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - plandis 5y ago
    He’s not a citizen, he willingly chose to bring his kid to a fairly remote part of the world for a long term stay. That’s not irresponsible to you? Bringing your children places where you cannot get them adequate care?
    - chadash 5y ago
      No. The number of times I've needed a medevac flight is approximately zero. It's not like Fiji has no healthcare for routine issues (not to mention that Larry Page can easily afford to fly doctors in from anywhere on a private jet). Obviously, a medevac flight indicates something more serious, and probably unexpected.
      - ghaff 5y ago
        Frankly, even given private planes and all, I would probably not have chosen some place outside the US to ride out the pandemic simply given that it adds a potential level of complexity in the case of an outbreak in an uncertain world. But there's nothing inherent to Pacific islands--including those in the state of Hawaii--that would make it inherently irresponsible to take a child there for a week or for months.
tazjin 5y ago
> Is New Zealand not even allowing their own citizens to return to their home country? Only the rich ones, same for Australia. At least NZ is still letting people leave the country. The behaviour of both countries during this has put them near the bottom of the list for places I'd ever want to go to.
- s-lambert 5y ago
  If New Zealand is like Australia, I wouldn't say it's only for the rich ones but you do need to be middle class because the flight costs + hotel costs are obscene. But you don't need to be a millionaire or a celebrity or anything like that.
simonhfrost 5y ago
I'm a NZ citizen living overseas and it's currently impossible to fly home over the new year because of limited mandatory quarantine locations. The booking system is flawed in a way that scalpers have already dominated supply and are selling slots for thousands of dollars, reinforcing that NZ is becoming increasingly unaffordable for typical people. More information including petition to overhaul the booking system can be found here: https://www.groundedkiwis.com/ https://www.groundedkiwis.com/
- rgoulter 5y ago
  I'm also an NZer overseas. I believe there was plenty of time to fly home before the MIQ was put in place. (I was told about MIQ when I went to vote). However, yeah, I've never seen open spots on the MIQ.
  - johnnyApplePRNG 5y ago
    That's just terrible. In Canada we are allowed to quarantine in our own homes, and the government checks up on you and fines you for leaving within 14 days afaik. I hope you get home to your family soon.
    - ant6n 5y ago
      In Canada, when entering the country via airplane, there's a mandatory regulated 3-day stay at a hotel as part of the 14-day quarantine. This costs 1000-2000$ (for three nights!), And is absolutely an impediment for normal ppl to return to home. The measure was meant to discourage tourism, but ppl working abroad returning, immigrants and students were all treated the same. (The measure is in effect late Feb to early Aug 2021)
    - grouseway 5y ago
      And that is also why we have every foreign origin covid variant floating around in Canada. Quarantine by honor system clearly hasn't worked. I wish we had been stricter with international travel so that we could have had less restrictions at home.
space_rock 5y ago
"New Zealanders stranded overseas" No I don't think so. All citizens can return home. Believe the issue is booking over booked quarantine facilities for arrival
- greyman 5y ago
  If quarantines facilities are booked, then they cannot? Then it's not true they can return (if they are booked).
  - space_rock 5y ago
    It's like you have to wait for a scheduled fight to go back to your country. You can't run towards the ocean and flap your arms and go by yourself. So if there are no flight during convid you are waiting and not going home. They have to wait for practical reasons which isn't a ban
- ghaff 5y ago
  So they can return home in theory but mostly not in practice.
  - candiodari 5y ago
    Government only organised a few quarantine locations, WAY too few. So scalpers are "buying" all the quarantine spots, then reselling them for 10x profit. Rich enough? You can go home. Poor? Yeah, sucks to be you.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

plandis 5y ago

Taking your kid to Fiji in the middle of a pandemic just seems negligent to me. Sure, accept them for treatment but charge the parents with abuse.

AYBABTME 5y ago
How would the diplomacy work here between NZ and Fiji's government, if NZ was to rule that having/bringing kids in Fiji is negligence?
chadash 5y ago
According to the article, he has been "based" there. It doesn't seem like a vacation, so much as a place to isolate. Is it fair that Larry Page gets to go to Fiji to isolate while the rest of us are at home? No. But it's not exactly irresponsible either (from a health perspective).
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- plandis 5y ago
  He’s not a citizen, he willingly chose to bring his kid to a fairly remote part of the world for a long term stay. That’s not irresponsible to you? Bringing your children places where you cannot get them adequate care?
  - chadash 5y ago
    No. The number of times I've needed a medevac flight is approximately zero. It's not like Fiji has no healthcare for routine issues (not to mention that Larry Page can easily afford to fly doctors in from anywhere on a private jet). Obviously, a medevac flight indicates something more serious, and probably unexpected.
    - ghaff 5y ago
      Frankly, even given private planes and all, I would probably not have chosen some place outside the US to ride out the pandemic simply given that it adds a potential level of complexity in the case of an outbreak in an uncertain world. But there's nothing inherent to Pacific islands--including those in the state of Hawaii--that would make it inherently irresponsible to take a child there for a week or for months.

tazjin 5y ago

> Is New Zealand not even allowing their own citizens to return to their home country? Only the rich ones, same for Australia. At least NZ is still letting people leave the country. The behaviour of both countries during this has put them near the bottom of the list for places I'd ever want to go to.

s-lambert 5y ago
If New Zealand is like Australia, I wouldn't say it's only for the rich ones but you do need to be middle class because the flight costs + hotel costs are obscene. But you don't need to be a millionaire or a celebrity or anything like that.

simonhfrost 5y ago

I'm a NZ citizen living overseas and it's currently impossible to fly home over the new year because of limited mandatory quarantine locations. The booking system is flawed in a way that scalpers have already dominated supply and are selling slots for thousands of dollars, reinforcing that NZ is becoming increasingly unaffordable for typical people. More information including petition to overhaul the booking system can be found here: https://www.groundedkiwis.com/ https://www.groundedkiwis.com/

rgoulter 5y ago
I'm also an NZer overseas. I believe there was plenty of time to fly home before the MIQ was put in place. (I was told about MIQ when I went to vote). However, yeah, I've never seen open spots on the MIQ.
- johnnyApplePRNG 5y ago
  That's just terrible. In Canada we are allowed to quarantine in our own homes, and the government checks up on you and fines you for leaving within 14 days afaik. I hope you get home to your family soon.
  - ant6n 5y ago
    In Canada, when entering the country via airplane, there's a mandatory regulated 3-day stay at a hotel as part of the 14-day quarantine. This costs 1000-2000$ (for three nights!), And is absolutely an impediment for normal ppl to return to home. The measure was meant to discourage tourism, but ppl working abroad returning, immigrants and students were all treated the same. (The measure is in effect late Feb to early Aug 2021)
  - grouseway 5y ago
    And that is also why we have every foreign origin covid variant floating around in Canada. Quarantine by honor system clearly hasn't worked. I wish we had been stricter with international travel so that we could have had less restrictions at home.

space_rock 5y ago

"New Zealanders stranded overseas" No I don't think so. All citizens can return home. Believe the issue is booking over booked quarantine facilities for arrival

greyman 5y ago
If quarantines facilities are booked, then they cannot? Then it's not true they can return (if they are booked).
- space_rock 5y ago
  It's like you have to wait for a scheduled fight to go back to your country. You can't run towards the ocean and flap your arms and go by yourself. So if there are no flight during convid you are waiting and not going home. They have to wait for practical reasons which isn't a ban
ghaff 5y ago
So they can return home in theory but mostly not in practice.
- candiodari 5y ago
  Government only organised a few quarantine locations, WAY too few. So scalpers are "buying" all the quarantine spots, then reselling them for 10x profit. Rich enough? You can go home. Poor? Yeah, sucks to be you.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]