Father of girl, 4, battling cancer pleads for Annastacia Palaszczuk to change heartless border restrictions - as NSW mother's plea to bury her son in Brisbane is rejected in callous email

 

  • Brad Jones is stuck in NSW while his young daughter undergoes chemo in QLD  
  • He was told he is unable to visit her unless he goes through hotel quarantine
  • Mr Jones has begged Annastacia Palaszczuk to loosen the harsh restrictions
  • Meanwhile a grieving grandmother has been refused a plea to bury her son
  • Elena Turner, 72, has hit out at the lack of empathy from health authorities
  • She shared a series of emails from QLD health refusing her funeral request 

A desperate father is unable to see his young daughter battling cancer due to COVID-19 border battles among Australia's premiers. 

Brad Jones is trapped across the New South Wales border in Lismore while his youngest daughter Charlotte undergoes chemotherapy in Brisbane. 

Despite only being two hours away, he is unable to see her without paying for a two week stay in hotel quarantine across the border. 

He is among a growing group of frustrated residents calling for restrictions to be leased. 

A desperate father is unable to see his young daughter due to COVID-19 border battles among Australia's premiers

A desperate father is unable to see his young daughter due to COVID-19 border battles among Australia's premiers

Charlotte's mother Melissa is by her side in Brisbane, while Mr Jones remains in the New South Wales Northern Rivers to work and care for their other five children. 

He is begging Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to loosen the restrictions so he can be by her side.

'Please Annastacia - have some compassion - I really want to see my daughter,' Mr Jones told Seven News. 

'She's my little princess warrior.'

'I miss having her in my arms, trying to make her smile.'

Charlotte's mother Melissa is by her side in Brisbane, while Mr Jones remains in the New South Wales Northern Rivers to work and care for their other five children (Pictured Melissa and Brad Jones with daughter Charlotte)

Charlotte's mother Melissa is by her side in Brisbane, while Mr Jones remains in the New South Wales Northern Rivers to work and care for their other five children (Pictured Melissa and Brad Jones with daughter Charlotte)

Brad Jones is begging Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to loosen the restrictions so he can be by his daughter's side

Brad Jones is begging Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to loosen the restrictions so he can be by his daughter's side

A grieving mother has also hit out at the government for its lack of empathy in responding to a request to bury her son's body.

Elena Turner, 72, had her request to travel into Queensland from New South Wales rejected to bury her son Wayne Turner, 49.

She was seeking to travel to Logan from Gulmarrad in regional NSW which is not considered a hot spot.

But she was told she would need to go into quarantine for 14 days, despite the fact southeast Queensland has active cases where Gulmarrad does not.

'Anyone from Logan can get to that funeral and they don't have any trouble. I would be less of a risk than anyone in the hot spots in Brisbane,' she told the Daily Telegraph.

Elena Turner, 72, had her request to travel into Queensland from New South Wales rejected to bury her son Wayne Turner, 49 (pictured Wayne Turner with daughter Reanna)

Elena Turner, 72, had her request to travel into Queensland from New South Wales rejected to bury her son Wayne Turner, 49 (pictured Wayne Turner with daughter Reanna)

Ms Turner received the rejection in a series of emails from Queensland Health.

'Under the current funeral protocol, attendees who arrive from overseas or interstate are required to undertaken the 14-day period of quarantine prior to attending the funeral service,' the email stated.

'While I appreciate that this was not the answer that you were hoping for, the public health directions and other measures implemented to respond to COVID-19 have been critical.' 

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk previously responded to criticism over strict border measures. 

'We're dealing with a health pandemic,' she said.

'It is absolutely tragic. It is heartbreaking. Families are not together at the moment.'

But she said the official directives were coming from the States's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young, and she was unable to bend the rules. 

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