'Stay away from us': New Zealanders returning home to Covid 'lifeboat' face backlash
Some Kiwis find a harsh homecoming amid concern about importing coronavirus after months of lockdown sacrifice by ‘team of 5 million’
When Ellen, 30, a New Zealander returning home from London, arrived at Auckland airport after a long-haul flight, she understood that she would be transported to a local hotel a short bus ride away for a fortnight’s government-mandated quarantine. Instead – with no warning, or chance to buy water or use the toilet – she found herself on a four-hour bus trip to Rotorua, a city 225km away, to spend her quarantine there.
When she tweeted about her experience – New Zealand’s government had started to use hotels in Rotorua and the South Island city of Christchurch to quarantine returning travellers as Auckland reached capacity – it didn’t take long for responders to chide Ellen for what they saw as complaining. “Stay away from us until you’re declared safe,” one wrote. “So sorry if we don’t care about your food needs.”
Continue reading...from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3ev8das
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