State Government gives overseas traveller special permission to attend funeral
A man will not undergo 14 days’ quarantine on arrival after being given special exemption by the State Government to attend a funeral in Melbourne’s southeast just hours after arriving from the UK.
South East
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A man travelling to Melbourne from London will not have to undergo 14 days’ quarantine on arrival after being given special exemption to attend a funeral.
The Leader can reveal the man who holds a dual citizenship, will attend his mother’s funeral today (Thursday) at Springvale Cemetery’s Boyd Chapel at 2pm.
It’s believed the man’s London-bound flight via Singapore, Brisbane and Sydney was scheduled to land at 11am, hours before the funeral.
Emails seen by Leader by the Department of Health and Human Services Quarantine Exemption Team, said the man’s transfer to Victoria had been approved by the deputy commander.
“Temporary leave will be arranged as a priority to facilitate his attendance to his mother’s funeral which is scheduled for tomorrow,” the exemption officer said.
The quarantine exemption officer also wrote in the email the man “would be required to travel wearing full PPE and will be met on arrival by our authorised officers who will escort him to hotel quarantine to complete the remainder of his quarantine period”.
It’s understood the man will wear full PPE and maintain social distancing at the service, but will not be allowed to attend the cremation due to size of the room.
A DHHS spokesman said strict quarantine rules were in place to protect Victorians and slow the spread of coronavirus within the community.
“There are a number of reasons that individuals may seek an exemption to the current quarantine restrictions including medical and compassionate grounds,” he said.
“All requests for exemptions are treated on their merits and strict protocols are put in place to protect the public.”
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