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Dear John --
Today, we have launched a new
petition so that Kiwis on and offshore can tell the Government in no
uncertain terms that it’s time to end the lottery of human misery that
is MIQ.
Sign the petition to end MIQ
here
We now have a farcical situation where fully vaccinated New
Zealanders, with no Covid, who win the MIQ lottery have to spend 14
days in MIQ in Auckland, while more than 1300 people with Covid or who
are close contacts of Covid cases isolate at home in
Auckland.
This makes no sense. It is unfair, callous and
illogical. This isn’t the Kiwi way. It isn’t kindness. It isn’t
compassion. The Government is now engaging in wilful, state-sponsored
cruelty on an industrial scale.
Tens of thousands of
Kiwis have been shut out of their home country because of the MIQ
system. The stories that fill National MPs’ inboxes are truly
harrowing. It’s time to end MIQ and allow Kiwis stuck offshore to come
home for Christmas.
Clearly, we need quarantine
facilities for some community Covid cases, but we must move to a
system where fully vaccinated travellers who return negative
pre-departure tests can enter New Zealand without spending time in MIQ
hotels. Fully-vaccinated travellers to New Zealand present negligible
risk. Since we started collecting MIQ vaccination data from August 23,
just two fully vaccinated travellers in MIQ have tested positive later
than day eight in MIQ.
National’s ‘Opening
Up’ plan envisaged travellers from lower risk jurisdictions – such
as Queensland – not entering isolation at all, while travellers from
higher risk places would spend a week in isolation at home. Under both
scenarios, MIQ would cease and there would be no state-imposed limits
on travellers to New Zealand.
Ending MIQ would reunite
families, end the enormous anguish at the heart of the system, boost
tourism, and help fill skill shortages in New
Zealand.
We can’t remain stuck behind the walls of
Fortress New Zealand forever. We have to reopen to the world, and a
good place to start would be getting rid of the lottery of human
misery that is MIQ.
You can sign the petition to end MIQ now
here.
Thank you for your
support.
Regards
Chris
Chris Bishop
Spokesperson for COVID-19
Response
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