Compassionate exceptions to travel bans?
March 12, 2020 7:57 PM Subscribe
In circumstances where governments are banning travel from selected destinations, are they making exceptions on compassionate grounds? For example, if New Zealand were to close their border to Australia, but close family members in NZ were life-threateningly ill, would we still be able to travel to them? Or should we be considering travelling now while borders are still open?
Apologies for contributing to filling up Ask Metafilter with COVID-19 questions.
I am a NZ citizen, and my husband is an Australian citizen. I'm asking primarily because his father, living in New Zealand, has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer - prognosis not yet certain but it could be just a matter of a few months left. He has asked us not to come "yet", but I'm concerned when "yet" comes, we might not be permitted to travel. (Or I might be, as a New Zealand citizen, but my husband might not be).
More generally, we both have parents there in their 70s and 80s, with lung conditions. I worry they might get sick from COVID-19, and that we wouldn't be able to get to them, if there are travel bans. In particular I'm worried about my mother (who is 76 and has asthma attacks that regularly put her in hospital, plus is completely unwilling to practise social distancing because she is a huge extrovert). She lives on her own and would want me there if she got sick. She has no other relatives nearby and my other sibling lives in the USA without a permit to travel even at the best of times as he is in visa limbo.
I'm half wondering if I should go over soon, self isolate for 14 days, and then go stay with her, but my life doesn't lend itself easily to being away from home for weeks or months on end (and I'd go nuts staying with my mother for that long anyway).
My ideal would be that I could just get on a plane and travel over to New Zealand if she actually got sick, or if my father-in-law's condition worsened. Is it unrealistic to think that will be possible?
Apologies for contributing to filling up Ask Metafilter with COVID-19 questions.
I am a NZ citizen, and my husband is an Australian citizen. I'm asking primarily because his father, living in New Zealand, has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer - prognosis not yet certain but it could be just a matter of a few months left. He has asked us not to come "yet", but I'm concerned when "yet" comes, we might not be permitted to travel. (Or I might be, as a New Zealand citizen, but my husband might not be).
More generally, we both have parents there in their 70s and 80s, with lung conditions. I worry they might get sick from COVID-19, and that we wouldn't be able to get to them, if there are travel bans. In particular I'm worried about my mother (who is 76 and has asthma attacks that regularly put her in hospital, plus is completely unwilling to practise social distancing because she is a huge extrovert). She lives on her own and would want me there if she got sick. She has no other relatives nearby and my other sibling lives in the USA without a permit to travel even at the best of times as he is in visa limbo.
I'm half wondering if I should go over soon, self isolate for 14 days, and then go stay with her, but my life doesn't lend itself easily to being away from home for weeks or months on end (and I'd go nuts staying with my mother for that long anyway).
My ideal would be that I could just get on a plane and travel over to New Zealand if she actually got sick, or if my father-in-law's condition worsened. Is it unrealistic to think that will be possible?
Response by poster: So again, the biggest risk is that you might bring it over to your family members.
For further answers please take it that I understand this, which is why I mentioned self isolating, above. And I understand that traveling at all puts those who come in contact with us at elevated risk. But I'm primarily thinking about a situation where we might have to choose between traveling or my husband not saying goodbye to his dying father, so please no shaming about this.
I appreciate the practical info above. I hadn't seen the thing about close family of NZ citizens currently being exempted. That is helpful.
posted by lollusc at 11:31 PM on March 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
For further answers please take it that I understand this, which is why I mentioned self isolating, above. And I understand that traveling at all puts those who come in contact with us at elevated risk. But I'm primarily thinking about a situation where we might have to choose between traveling or my husband not saying goodbye to his dying father, so please no shaming about this.
I appreciate the practical info above. I hadn't seen the thing about close family of NZ citizens currently being exempted. That is helpful.
posted by lollusc at 11:31 PM on March 12, 2020 [1 favorite]
Another piece of the puzzle I don't see addressed here is the availability of flights. A friend's (American citizen) daughter is traveling in Europe and is having difficulty finding a flight from the continent to the US. She will probably end up catching a flight from Great Britain, but if a travel ban is in effect, it may be difficult to impossible for you to get a flight to NZ.
Best wishes for you, your husband and your father in law.
posted by lhauser at 6:56 AM on March 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
Best wishes for you, your husband and your father in law.
posted by lhauser at 6:56 AM on March 13, 2020 [1 favorite]
Update:
ALL travellers need to self-isolate for 14 days, but you can still come over.
And yes, still many flights from AU to NZ.
(And no shaming intended, just pointing out that having had, and recovered, from covid could be a barrier to reuniting with family for over a month after you get it)
posted by Elysum at 4:27 AM on March 14, 2020
ALL travellers need to self-isolate for 14 days, but you can still come over.
And yes, still many flights from AU to NZ.
(And no shaming intended, just pointing out that having had, and recovered, from covid could be a barrier to reuniting with family for over a month after you get it)
posted by Elysum at 4:27 AM on March 14, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
NZ is still considerably behind the curve in infections compared to Australia, as there's only 5 cases, and none in the last 5 days. Compared to 92 in NSW, and it travelling through Sydney.
So, it's more likely that you'll get it in Sydney.
Current travel restrictions are:
"The decision to deny boarding or refuse entry to New Zealand does not apply to New Zealand citizens, permanent residents, residents with valid travel conditions and their immediate family, who will still be able to come to New Zealand. Australian citizens and permanent residents are also not subject to the travel restrictions if New Zealand is their primary place of established residence. However, if they have been present in, or transited through mainland China or Iran 14 days before departing for New Zealand, they will be required to self-isolate for 14 days from the time they arrive in New Zealand."
https://www.immigration.govt.nz/about-us/media-centre/news-notifications/coronavirus-update-inz-response
You are a NZ citizen, and your partner is immediate family.
I would expect that if travel restrictions widen to cover Australia, you will still be counted as NZ citizen and your partner as immediate family - and historically, NZ has been protective and generous in it's inclusion of NZers.
I would expect you'd have to self-isolate for 14 days.
Also, when you do get Covid-19, it's worth noting that people have been shedding the virus for 20-37 days. So again, the biggest risk is that you might bring it over to your family members.
posted by Elysum at 10:27 PM on March 12, 2020 [1 favorite]