In this crazy topsy turvy world that is the Covid pandemic it is possible to feel enormous sympathy with Charlotte Bellis, but also little sympathy at all.
So, what the hell happened?
Charlotte needs to find a new place to live and have her baby because the place she chose to live in, Qatar, makes it illegal to be unwed and pregnant.
So, she escaped to the father's homeland of Belgium but under EU rules she could only stay there for 3 months. With nowhere else to go, the couple return to Kabul where the regime can spot a PR gift when they see one.
All the while she’s trying to win a place in the New Zealand MIQ lottery and failing. Even though people are going for overseas holidays and returning, others like Charlotte appear to be not so lucky. Pointing out the lack of rationality in a lottery-based system.
Then New Zealand closes its borders to its citizens because MIQ is full of Omicron infected Kiwis, but there is no Omicron in the country. The action buys time to make sure more New Zealanders are vaccinated against the inevitable Omicron surge.
So, Charlotte applies for an emergency exemption but is refused because being pregnant is not an emergency. She had no medical appointments and wanted to come home in a month but the emergency provision is only open for the immediate fortnight.
It’s a bureaucratic bungle by Charlotte. Sadly, she hit a faceless pen pusher who operated under rules and not common sense. She’s told she’s got the paperwork all wrong and needs to reapply.
Instead, she snaps, hires a PR firm, contacts an opposition MP and goes to war on the Government.
On one hand, the crisis is all of her own making. Rules are rules. However, on the other hand, it is also the making of a bureaucratic public service regime that seems to show no ability to think for itself.
I have no doubt that an answer will be found quickly now that the politicians whose jobs depend on public favour are aware of the implications and the worldwide reputational impact on our country and then this firestorm will be over.
Now I’ve been a big supporter of MIQ. Despite the fashion to say it’s failed; it’s actually been the most successful quarantine programme in the world aided by our geographic position. It’s why we have had such a low infection, hospitalisation and mortality rate.
However, things need to change.
MIQ was closed to hold back Omicron. Now Omicron is here, it’s time to reopen it.
Time to start phasing it out in favour of home self-isolation.
My suggestion would be that once we hit the 1000 cases a day level that should be the trigger. According to the doomsayers, that'll be in a fortnight and then there's plenty of time for Charlotte to get home to have her baby in May.
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