A family in Sydney has been told by the government to take a hard decision. The decision was, which of their four children will bid a final goodbye to their ailing father in the hospital across the border.
Mark Keans,39, father of four children, is in a severely affected state in a Brisbane hospital. His family is staying in NSW .They are unable to see him due to the coronavirus imposition.
The government of Queensland has stated that only one of his four children will be allowed to cross the border. That way only one gets the chance to say a final goodbye to their dotting father.
Keans’s father Bruce Langborne said it was an “impossible” choice for the family to not let them see Mr.Keans for the last time.
The Reportage which aired on Channel Nine’s Today Show on Thursday, Mr Langborne said his son, was diagnosed with ‘inoperable cancer in his brain and lungs, and grappling.’ He was visibly in distress that he could not see his family in the hospital.
Mr Langborne issued the statement ,”There were a few things Mr Keans’s family was being told unofficially as nothing from the Queensland Government was in writing”.
He also added-“ One, we had too many people trying to come up. Two, we weren’t allowed to drive, we had to fly in and then we probably wouldn’t get out of the airport anyway, they’d send us back.”
“Three, by us wanting to come and see Mark, we’re being selfish and not taking any thought as to the welfare of the other cancer patients
In a statement issued to Yahoo News Australia, the Queensland Health spokesperson said they “sympathise” with Mr Keans’s family’s situation.
The spokesperson added-“We understand and sympathise that this is a very difficult time and there are challenges.”
“We are in the midst of a global pandemic and we need to protect our communities, especially the most vulnerable members of the community.
“Queensland’s current border restrictions are in place for one purpose – to save lives. We understand the health directions in place are strict, but they are designed to protect Queenslanders from COVID-19.”
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been under a severe scrutiny for the state’s prohibition to cross the border. The decision to prohibite the four children from visiting their dying father has infuriated the NSW Health Minister -Brad Hazzard.
Mr Hazzard said that “I can only express my anger, my supreme anger, at the Queensland Premier’s decision, which in my view is nothing more base loopy politics. I’m appalled.”
Ms Palaszczuk on Queensland’s rules:
On Wednesday, Ms Palaszczuk was grilled about the consistency and compassion of border rules designed to contain COVID-19 in southern states.
Queensland recorded eight new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, one of the state’s largest spikes in months.
Ms Palaszczuk defended Queensland’s hard border closure, saying she was taking the medical advice of the state’s chief health officer, Jeannette Young.
“When it comes to individual cases, they need to refer the individuals to the exemptions unit. I don’t make these decisions, they are made by clinicians,” she said in parliament.
Liberal National Party MP Laura Gerber asked if US actor Tom Hanks, who previously tested positive in Queensland back in March, was in mandatory quarantine after flying into the Gold Coast on Tuesday night.
The premier confirmed Hanks was subject to health measures agreed under the film industry’s COVID-safe plan.
“Under that plan they have to stay in the place for two weeks just like everybody else and they will have random checks, as my understanding, by the police,” she told parliament.
Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington claims Hanks and other members of the film production company have been allowed to pick their own accommodation and are not in one of the government-mandated quarantine hotels.
