A Canberra man who was denied the chance to leave hotel quarantine to attend his father's funeral on Monday was allowed to use an Uber to travel to and from the hotel for his last hours with his dad, and left unsupervised at the airport when he left.
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More stories are coming to light of how Queensland's harsh border restrictions on ACT residents are dividing families in their worst moments, as the state's Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk falsely said a Sydney man brought the virus to Queensland from Canberra.
Grieving Brisbane widow Sandra Shea has told how her adult step-son from Canberra, who doesn't wish to be named, was granted an exemption from hotel quarantine to be with his dad for a few hours the day before he died, but despite repeated applications, didn't receive a response about the funeral until after it had happened.
"He got the notice on Monday night (after the funeral) that he couldn't go, before that they hadn't answered," Ms Shea said.
She said the pain of losing her husband John Holmes was magnified for the whole family by the border closures that meant his family couldn't be represented at the funeral.
Frustration at the seemingly punitive rules was heightened when her stepson was told to use rideshare services to travel to and from the hospital, and the airport.
"The thing that really got me, was to know they went to the airport unescorted and could wander around that airport," she said.
"They weren't isolated in the airport yet they can't come to a funeral."
Ms Shea said she was sharing her family's story after hearing that of Sarah Caisip, which caused a national political storm on Thursday.
"Hearing Sarah's story, I thought how many others are there? Hundreds probably?" she said.
Both Ms Palaszczuk and Queensland's Chief Health Officer continued to defend the decision to close the border to ACT residents on Friday.
Again using the case of a Sydney man who used Canberra airport as a loophole to travel to Brisbane, Ms Palaszczuk mistakenly said the man who travelled from a Sydney hotspot "came through Canberra into Queensland with the virus".
The man in question travelled from a Sydney hotspot but it has not been reported that he had COVID-19. He has since been charged in Queensland.
Ms Palaszczuk is under increasing pressure over her state's decision to class the ACT as a COVID-19 hotspot despite the ACT recording no new cases of the virus in more than 60 days.
Queensland recorded two new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, for a total of 27 active cases, and has contact tracing alerts out on dozens of venues.
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Chief Minister Andrew Barr said Queensland was being unfairly criticised over its closed borders.
"I think we're being unfairly treated by South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, Western Australia," he said.
"All of the jurisdictions that have their borders closed to us, not just Queensland."
Mr Barr defended Ms Palaszczuk, saying the decision rested solely with the state's chief health officer.
"I think it is important to show compassion in these circumstances, but these are extraordinary circumstances," he said.
"We are in the middle of a global pandemic, the pandemic is not over and I understand and respect the sovereignty of each of the states to make their own decisions.
"But it is unfortunate that we continue to be lined up with NSW, when the evidence just does not support those concerns."
On Friday South Australian Premier Steven Marshall also cited travel between the ACT and NSW as a reason for keeping that state closed to ACT residents.
The harsh nature of Queensland's border restrictions against ACT residents was thrown into the spotlight on Thursday, when 26-year-old Sarah Caisip was refused an exemption to leave hotel quarantine to go to her father's funeral in Brisbane, only allowed to view his body in private while wearing full personal protective equipment.
Ms Caisip moved to the ACT at the start of the year after growing up in Queensland, and pleaded with Queensland authorities to be allowed to attend the service to comfort her mother and young sister.
She applied for an exemption to visit her dying father, but by the time it came through he had already died.
Outrage around the rules has been fuelled by news that film stars and sportspeople have been allowed to travel to the state, although they have been required to undergo hotel quarantine.
Film stars have been granted exemptions to travel to Queensland because they bring money into the state, Queensland's Chief Health Officer has said.
Hollywood star Tom Hanks is quarantining in a Gold Coast hotel, that was not previously designated for quarantine, before restarting filming of a film about Elvis, and hundreds of AFL footballers and families have also travelled to the state.
"I have given class exemptions to people in the sporting industry for a whole range of codes because it is important that we start that work, but they all go into quarantine," Dr Jeannette Young said.
"I have given exemptions for people in entertainment and film because that is bringing a lot of money into this state and, can I say, with need every single dollar in our state."
Sally Whyte
I report on a range of issues in federal politics and the public service, with a real passion for how decisions made in Canberra affect the lives of Australians.
I report on a range of issues in federal politics and the public service, with a real passion for how decisions made in Canberra affect the lives of Australians.
