A Kiwi woman who's travelled thousands of kilometres to see her dying sister, has reached a major roadblock.
Shelly Grierson's emergency application to leave MIQ early has been turned down - twice - despite being fully vaccinated and testing negative for COVID-19.
Her 37-year-old sister Rebecca Spoerl, who is a mum of two, doesn't have long to live.
She has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In less than a week, her life expectancy changed from months to just days.
"Her doctor advised us to do family Christmas next week," Shelley told Newshub.
Shelley is desperate to see her, but she's stuck in managed isolation in Auckland, after travelling from the UK.
"I don't even have the words. Upsetting, frustrating - they don't do it justice," Shelley says.
Shelley and her one-year-old son were granted an emergency spot in the Four Points by Sheraton. But by the time they are released, it could be too late.
People can apply to leave managed isolation early if it's for an exceptional circumstance.
Shelley did, but her application was declined.
"I've just continuously been swinging back and forth between disbelief and just not being able to process it... it's devastating on so many levels."
Shelley wants to isolate at her sister's home in Ōmokoroa in the Bay of Plenty, so she can be with Rebecca in her final moments.
Rebecca's doctor, who is a consultant haematologist, has supported this.
"Home isolation would be the best option given Rebecca's situation... The window is small and I would very much appreciate if MIQ could be accommodating to facilitate and expedite this."
The Joint Head of MIQ Brigadier Rose King says Shelley's application was declined because she is from a high-risk country.
"Exemptions from managed isolation are approved in very few circumstances - the threshold for approval is very high. Most exemptions are granted for people to join unaccompanied minors, people in transit, or people whose medical needs require hospital-level care."
King says applications are evaluated by using a public health risk assessment tool provided by the Ministry of Health.
"The risk assessment considers a number of factors, including the risk level of the country the person has come from," King says.
"MIQ decision-makers have no ability to override the tool and grant an exemption where the tool designates an applicant as too high risk for approval – as was the case with Ms Grierson's application."
Shelley says the process has been gut-wrenching.
"If I was in [Rebecca's] position, or if anyone else was in her position - you would think, how is that OK for someone else to decide that I cannot have my sister here with me?"
Rebecca is facing at least five more days in managed isolation.
"I'm here for a bedside vigil... my biggest fear is not to get there in time."
