Sunshine Coast kids to see mum and dad for first time in 11 weeks

Two young Queensland kids will finally be reunited with their parents after border closures and hotel quarantine orders kept them separated for almost three months, as health officials make good on their new promise.

A family stranded on opposite sides of the State’s border will soon be reunited, as multiple previously denied exemption requests have finally been overturned.

Sunshine Coast kids Arli, 7, and Kahu, 10, were locked out of Queensland and separated from their parents while on a visit to see their grandparents on the NSW Central Coast 11 weeks ago.

Now, however, the repeated denied exemption requests lodged to Queensland Health by the children’s father Tim Ashman, and mother Anna Ashman, have finally been overturned, with the kids due to come home next week.

“(I’m) so excited!,” Ms Ashman said.

“Our kids were granted an exemption to return home and quarantine at home this afternoon. We have flights booked for the 10th (of September)”

Tim and Anna Ashman with their two kids Arli, 7, and Kahu, 10 who have been locked out of Queensland since June 18.

Mr Ashman had lodged three quarantine exemption applications with Queensland Health.

Two of these requests had been denied, while the third was on Friday still pending.

Ms Ashman said she believed it was the public outcry that on Saturday pushed Queensland Health and the state’s Health Minister Yvette D’Ath to reconsider their stance.

“It’s a shame everyone had to go public for it to happen – Facebook comments are brutal,” Ms Ashford said.

“Hopefully everyone else gets the same result.”

Prior to today’s brilliant news, Queensland Health had told the family that Arli and Kahu “must arrive by air and complete 14 days quarantine at a Government nominated hotel accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or responsible adult.”

Ms Ashman said she would’ve had to rely on financial support from her extended family to have been able to foot the bill for her two kids to isolate.

Arli and Kahu Ashman will soon be reunited with their parents following a guarantee by the Health Minister.

The change to the Ashman family’s exemption comes as Ms D’Ath on Saturday promised closed borders and hotel quarantine orders will no longer keep kids separated from their parents.

At a press conference, the Health Minister guaranteed any young child stuck in a different state to their parents will be granted an exemption to re-enter the state, as long as the entire household agreed to complete 14 days of at home quarantine.
“All Queensland children wanting to come back into Queensland will be allowed to quarantine at home and will have to quarantine with the whole household, I’m giving that guarantee right now,” Ms D’Ath said.

The Health Minister made the guarantee following mounting pressure on the state government to bring Queensland kids back home.

“If people have not put in a formal application – if they have simply rang the phone line (and) have not put in an application- I would encourage you to do so immediately so that we can make sure that those people, those kids, can get home to their parents and make sure that they’re safe and home quarantining.” 

Queensland Health said parents or caregivers who had previously been knocked back from having their kids brought home to Queensland, or had their child’s home quarantine request denied, could reopen the exemption request and wait for approval of 14 day home quarantine -which must be completed by the whole household.

Ms D’Ath’s guarantee comes after The Courier-Mail rallied for three-year-old Memphis Francis to be reunited with his Queensland parents, after border closures kept them separated for eight weeks.