Sydney woman finally granted permission to enter WA to see dying mother
It’s an extreme measure for an extreme outbreak, but WA’s COVID-proof fence is blocking out even the most desperate cases, even though it was promised it wouldn’t.
Emma Potter is stranded in Sydney, with her mother Barbara dying from early onset Alzheimer’s in a Perth nursing home.
“We had a call from the care team at the hospital last week that there had been a relatively sudden turn of events and her case had turned imminently terminal,” Ms Potter told 9News.
“What have we come to as a society if you can’t be there to hold your mother’s hand as she passes on?”
Now in palliative care, Ms Potter’s 73-year-old mother has been given just weeks to live, with her the only one unable to get home to say goodbye.
Four of Ms Potter’s applications to be exempt from the border rule had been rejected, despite her meeting all strict requirements.
“It became clear the applications weren’t even being looked at – I feel very tired, I’m exhausted – it’s been very trying, very challenging,” she said.
While the government may be out of compassion, the people of Perth are not, with many outraged that the upcoming AFL Grand Final will get you into the state, but a dying relative will not.
Last week, WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said under rare and extreme circumstances, either he or the Health Minister would be able to make a decision on certain cases.
But it wasn’t until 9News exposed Ms Potter’s story, that Commissioner Dawson finally granted her approval to come back to WA – sharing the good news this afternoon.
With NSW recording 1431 new coronavirus cases and another 12 deaths, WA is standing by their current stance on border control.
