A dying man has begged the Queensland government to allow him to see his son, who is in quarantine in a Sydney hotel, one last time.
Frans Kilian, 80, is in hospital on the Gold Coast suffering from pancreatic cancer.
One of his sons Mark Kilian, and wife Anneli, are in Sydney completing the last seven days of their mandatory quarantine after rushing to Australia from Los Angeles.
Both are vaccinated and have undergone at least three coronavirus tests, which were negative.
Despite repeated requests, they have been unable to get an exemption to visit Frans.
On Tuesday, Frans begged Queensland Health to show some compassion.
“Every day that they are in that hotel is a day less that I have with my son and daughter-in-law in my last days,” he said in a video appeal from his hospital bed.
“Please Queensland Health. Show some compassion. Help an old man see his son before it is too late.”
“By all accounts, there is no danger to the Queensland community.
“I’m asking you, begging you actually, to let my son and his wife leave their quarantine to come here to be with me. It is my dying wish. Please.”
Mark Kilian is desperate to see his dying dad on the Gold Coast.
Border Force and NSW Health granted him an exemption to enter Australia, but the Queensland government has denied him the chance to say goodbye 😔
Sign his petition: https://t.co/Lvw7rf48cl pic.twitter.com/H5Qo1xjzeb
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) June 16, 2021
Federal Labor frontbencher Bill Shorten said there must be a way to allow the son and daughter-in-law to see Frans.
“I know that the Queensland and federal officials are in a bit of a no-win situation because if you say yes to this, then where do you draw the line,” Mr Shorten told Nine Network.
“But on the other hand, commonsense is commonsense. And I just want someone to be able to say goodbye to their parent.”
While the situation is “absolutely tragic” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says national guidelines do not include exceptions for such cases.
“If the federal government wants to talk to both states, I’m happy to facilitate that, but this applies to everybody,” she said on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, the national guidelines, so what is agreed to federally, is the 14 days of quarantine for people coming overseas.”
AAP
