A Kiwi stuck in the United Kingdom mourning the death of her dad in New Zealand says news the managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) room lottery is postponed has hit her hard.
The latest room release was due to go live on Thursday, but it's been delayed until an unspecified date due to the "unprecedented" number of Omicron cases coming into the country.
Kiwi Ally Fabish's dad was dying of cancer in New Zealand and she was diagnosed with cancer in Scotland.
"I had to do my chemo alone, I couldn't have anyone in my house because of COVID, and I just need that support from my family, I need to see my family," she tells Newshub.
But she can't see her family since there are no MIQ room releases for now.
"I burst into tears and I just don't know what to do now."
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says the delay is "for a period of time while we figure out exactly what's going to happen at the border".
On Tuesday afternoon, a message appeared on the MIQ website saying that the room release had been postponed. Less than an hour later, it was replaced with an alert about the high number of emergency requests. Then late on Tuesday night it was updated again, saying the delay was due to the unprecedented number of Omicron cases at the border.
"It's totally unacceptable that the million New Zealanders offshore found out the New Zealand border is basically shut through a random message by a bureaucrat on a website," says National's COVID-19 spokesperson Chris Bishop.
Alexandra Birt, the spokesperson for the group Grounded Kiwis, who are demanding change to the MIQ system, says frustration is growing.
"There's just a real lack of transparency and lack of communication, people don't know what's happening next," she says.
There have been 370 Omicron cases at the border since December 1. The rolling average of daily cases in the past week is 35 - most are likely Omicron.
And the number is increasing. On December 31 there were 13 border cases, and on Wednesday there were 56.
"We're having to convert a lot more rooms into quarantine facilities and that is putting that system under quite a lot more strain," Hipkins says.
The Government can't say when the next MIQ lottery will be, but Cabinet is considering its options within the next couple of weeks.
Those stuck overseas are urging people here to be more understanding.
"We're getting a lot of awful messages from Kiwis at home that are my fellow Kiwis," Fabish says.
Kiwis who are just wanting to come home.
