Charging expats for quarantine

**baabits** · 20-07-2020, 08:18 PM

Is this just a political football or are people seriously supportive of this? Maybe I’m the one with the outlying opinion but it sounds ridiculous.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/pol...ional-proposed

**paulw** · 20-07-2020, 08:39 PM

If an "xpat" has lived and worked overseas paying tax there for 25 months or longer then as far as I'm concerned they should pay for their own quarantine costs not the NZ taxpayer.

**baabits** · 20-07-2020, 08:53 PM

Why? A lot of them are losing jobs and going home and they don’t really have too much of a choice in the matter.

You wanna slap them in the face when they return home with a $3000+ hotel stay that they have to pay for or go to prison?

**piroska** · 21-07-2020, 09:23 AM

I don't agree with it. Being made to stay for 2 weeks, not their choice, it's the paranoia over this fairly harmless virus, so no. Govts idea, govt funded.

**CliveM** · 21-07-2020, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by piroska

I don't agree with it. Being made to stay for 2 weeks, not their choice, it's the paranoia over this fairly harmless virus, so no. Govts idea, govt funded.

Keep to population terrified and you can get them to do whatever you like all the while pretending to be kind and caring.

**baabits** · 21-07-2020, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by CliveM

Keep to population terrified and you can get them to do whatever you like all the while pretending to be kind and caring.

I think that's the biggest kicker of seeing people react to this- they could easily limit the incoming numbers in other ways as they have by limiting flight bookings,etc. It's a cash grab from vulnerable people, plain and simple.

I wouldn't be shocked at Australia or even the US doing something like this. I am shocked that NZ would consider it.

**Roscoe** · 20-07-2020, 09:02 PM

Why can't they self isolate at home? Or at least quarantine at a cheaper place than a hotel.

But if they must isolate in a hotel, it must be because they had no choice but to come home (such as losing their job) but if they come home just because they want to then they should have to pay.

**baabits** · 20-07-2020, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by Roscoe

Why can't they self isolate at home? Or at least quarantine at a cheaper place than a hotel.

But if they must isolate in a hotel, it must be because they had no choice but to come home (such as losing their job) but if they come home just because they want to then they should have to pay.

I’m not sure why they can’t offer something more basic than a hotel, iirc they were happily using motorhomes at army bases originally. And I agree, let people quarantine at home. Most will probably take that over going to a hotel.

It just feels like the biggest slap in the face to go home, to your home, and be told that you have to pay so much money just to go in because the government wants to quarantine everyone in hotels. It was bad enough that they blocked flight bookings for the past three weeks, but at least that’s understandable.

**tweak'e** · 20-07-2020, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by Roscoe

Why can't they self isolate at home? Or at least quarantine at a cheaper place than a hotel.

.

Originally Posted by baabits

And I agree, let people quarantine at home.

what an absolute moronic idea that failed the first time they did it, that forced us into lockdown. and you guys want to try it again?

after all this time you guys still do not understand quarantine and what happens if it fails.
if you guys don't understand then you can bet the people coming in do not understand and will promptly infect all of us and then say "opps, but i didn't know".

seriously you guys need to wake the hell up and understand whats happening in the world.

**baabits** · 20-07-2020, 09:35 PM

Originally Posted by tweak'e

what an absolute moronic idea that failed the first time they did it, that forced us into lockdown. and you guys want to try it again?

after all this time you guys still do not understand quarantine and what happens if it fails.
if you guys don't understand then you can bet the people coming in do not understand and will promptly infect all of us and then say "opps, but i didn't know".

seriously you guys need to wake the hell up and understand whats happening in the world.

I’m fine with quarantining people in hotels, just not forcing them to pay for it. If they have to pay for it because it’s such a financial issue, then they should be allowed to quarantine at home.

What the hell does it mean that you think people like us need to “wake up”? I’m in the country that has the highest rate of infection in the world, I think I have a far clearer picture of how this virus impacts communities than most. It doesn’t mean I lose my humanity and support forcing people to pony up cash that they probably can’t afford to because of a situation that is out of their own control. Grow up.