NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet steps in as woman fights to enter Tasmania

The NSW premier is urging his Tasmanian counterpart to put cruel border policies aside and allow a Sydney woman to reunite with her dying mother.

The NSW Premier and his health minister Brad Hazzard are begging their Tasmanian counterparts to “act compassionately” after Daily Telegraph journalist Mercedes Maguire revealed her anguished plight at being denied entry into Tasmania to see her mum, Teresa Florez, in her final days.

“While border restrictions are a matter for individual states this is surely a case where an exemption could be considered on compassionate grounds,” Mr Perrottet said.

“The pandemic has kept family and friends apart for too long and where we can, we should be working together to help people in their time of need, not simply ignoring them.

Journalist Mercedes Maguire and her mum Teresa Florez. Picture: Supplied

“I have contacted the Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein to see if the Tasmanian government could have a further look at this case.”

Mr Perrottet also called Ms Maguire and said he will do what he can to help them.

Mr Hazzard said he hoped the Tasmanian government will act compassionately.

“I’m hopeful the Tasmania government will exercise a judgment based on kindness and caring, particularly knowing that each of these NSW residents are double vaxxed and would have a PCR test before they went to Tasmania,” he said.

“Certainly throughout the pandemic we have tried to be in NSW responsive to family concerns and strike the ­balance.”

Ms Maguire and her family are being forced to navigate a bureaucratic maze as their mum lies dying in their family home in Tasmania with as little as 48 hours left to live.

Premier Dominic Perrottet has spoken to vthe family and pledged to do what he can to help. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Adam Yip

Mr Perrottet has appealed to Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

She has been barred from staying in their family home where her mum Teresa Florez is in palliative care and ­instead forced to apply for hotel quarantine at her own cost of $3800 for two weeks or find alternative accommodation like an Airbnb.

In a phone call from a representative of Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff’s office, Ms Maguire was informed she will then be given a pass from the Tasmanian Government to visit her mum.

But the representative did not explain how frequently she can visit or for how long at a time.

The excessive measures came despite NSW recording just 294 new infections on Monday while second dose vaccination rates for over 16s reached 85 per cent.

Ms Maguire was also asked to resubmit her application, which was originally denied, with new documentation including a letter from the doctor.

The phone call from Mr Rockliff‘s office came after Mr Hazzard reached out to Tasmanian authorities pushing Ms Maguire’s heartbreaking case.

The condition of Ms Maguire’s mum has dramatically worsened in recent days. Picture: Supplied

“My mum is literally dying, she potentially has only 48 hours to live and I’m in Sydney trying to get a new letter from the doctor. I’m wasting my time,” Ms Maguire said.

“Mum‘s condition has drastically deteriorated in the last four or five days because she has stopped eating or drinking.

“I think this is a process established to make me fail, it’s set up to not give me a result.”

She said Mr Hazzard had been shocked to learn of the situation and was seeking to get her an exemption.

The solution offered by Tasmanian authorities has offered little respite for the grieving family.

Ms Maguire said she was crushed to learn that even after “jumping through the hoops” she will have no guarantee she will be by her mum’s side in her final moments.

“There is no way I want to be that close to mum and visit her for a specified amount of time and go and then sit in a house alone while the rest of my family sit bedside,” she said.

“Maybe people think I’m asking for too much, but I want to be by my mum’s side when she dies.”