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A30 world news
Diabierna 8 OctOber 2021

Virus measures stop legal return of thousands to New Zealand

Many New Zealanders For Dancose, the wait-
They worried they would stranded abroad have also ing to return home contin-
get deported from the U.S. become disheartened by the ues. When her 23-year-old
when their visa waiver en- attitude of those back home, daughter, who is studying in
titlement expired, or that the Birt said, some of whom Montreal and has a history
delays would disqualify them seem to have little sympathy of depression, reached out to
from traveling home because for their plight and are con- her in August, Dancose had
the pregnancy would get too tent for the borders to remain just accepted a new job. But
far advanced. They feared tightly sealed. she knew she needed to be by
they would get stuck with a her daughter’s side.
six-figure medical bill if they “People are feeling totally
had the baby in the U.S. abandoned both by the gov- “When you are in New Zea-
ernment and the New Zea- land, the narrative is, don’t
“It was inhumane. Every- land public,” Birt said. go, despite whatever reasons
one’s situation changes, and you may have,” Dancose said.
everyone has the right to New Zealand’s government “I have no regrets, though.”
come home,” Graham said. says the quarantine system
“I felt like that right had been will be vital in its virus re- Dancose has been logging
taken away. It was the weird- sponse for the foreseeable on to a virtual waiting room,
est feeling.” future. where a few thousand places
for returnees open up every
A London-based group called COVID-19 Response Min- week or two, often for slots
Grounded Kiwis helped her ister Chris Hipkins recently months in the future.
file legal action in New Zea- announced plans to add an
land asking for a judicial re- extra quarantine hotel and People are assigned a place
view of her case. Within 48 begin a small trial that would randomly, and Dancose was
(AP) — When Silvia Dan- For most of that time, people hours, the government made allow some fully vaccinated about 15,000th in the queue,
cose’s daughter called in were able to live without any a U-turn and last month of- people to isolate at home. then 24,000th and another
distress from Canada in restrictions, going to work fered her an emergency spot time 17,000th. She hasn’t
August, Dancose flew over and filling sports stadiums. in quarantine. “We want to assure Kiwis come close to getting a slot.
right away to comfort Only 28 people in the coun- overseas that we are doing
her. But now, after weeks try with a population of 5 Graham, whose baby is due everything we can to facilitate For now, she is couch-surfing
of trying, she has no idea million have died from CO- in mid-November, said she’s their safe return,” he said. in Montreal. A Canadian by
when she’ll be allowed to VID-19. incredibly relieved to be back birth and a New Zealand
return home to New Zea- home in Auckland, but re- But the system may have al- permanent resident, Dan-
land. But an outbreak of the more mains angry at what she en- ready caused a symbolic loss. cose has connections in both
transmissible delta variant in dured. Amazon Studios filmed one countries.
This week, Dancose found August has proved impos- season of a television produc-
herself waiting in vain be- sible to extinguish, especially One of the founders of tion inspired by “The Lord of Dancose said her daughter is
hind 17,000 others in an on- after spreading through mar- Grounded Kiwis is Alexandra the Rings” in New Zealand, doing much better. She said
line queue. New Zealanders ginalized groups, including Birt, a 29-year-old New Zea- which has a long associa- her new employer has al-
desperate to return to their homeless people and gang land lawyer based in London, tion with the books of J.R.R. lowed her to work remotely
home country are forced members. who became concerned that Tolkien. for now, even though she’s
each week or so to enter a lot- people’s rights were being supposed to be interacting
tery for coveted beds in quar- Yet the strict border measures breached. However, Amazon said it de- with people as part of her
antine hotels. remain. cided to film the second sea- new job.
Birt found time for research son in Britain to expand its
As part of its effort to mini- For many trying to come when she caught COVID-19 production footprint there. Dancose said she was double
mize the spread of the coro- home, it has been particu- herself in July and took sick Many people locally, howev- vaccinated in New Zealand
navirus, New Zealand re- larly galling that sports stars, leave from work. She said er, have pointed to the prob- before she left, and remains
quires all returning citizens politicians and other selected New Zealand’s quarantine lems Amazon was having in dismayed that despite doing
and residents — whether high-flyers glide through the system is broken and needs getting its actors and crew in everything right, she’s still
vaccinated or not — to spend system with guaranteed spots to change. and out of New Zealand. not allowed to return home.
14 days isolating in a hotel upon their return.
run by the military.
For one New Zealander, it
Because demand is far out- took filing a lawsuit before
stripping supply, New Zea- she could get home. Ber-
landers are being locked out gen Graham unexpectedly
indefinitely, despite the right found out she was pregnant
of return enshrined in New in March while living in El
Zealand’s constitutional ar- Salvador.
rangements and in interna-
tional law. Doctors told Graham her
pregnancy was considered
The quarantine system re- high-risk because of her
mains in place despite New blood type. She filed six ap-
Zealand’s government ac- plications for an emergency
knowledging this week that spot in quarantine, but was
it can no longer wipe out the denied each time.
virus. The tight border con-
trols, along with strict lock- As Graham and her husband
downs and aggressive contact tried to get back, they flew
tracing, ensured New Zea- to Los Angeles, where they
land eliminated each out- lined up alongside undocu-
break of the virus for the first mented immigrants at com-
18 months of the pandemic. munity clinics to get medical
care.