

Vaccinated couple in hotel quarantine beg to see dying father

A last-minute rejection from Queensland Health has left a husband and wife who were trying to visit a dying relative stranded on the tarmac as their plane prepared to take off.
Mark Kilian and his wife Anneli Gericke are currently in hotel quarantine in Sydney after travelling from the US to visit Mr Kilian's dying father.
They received approval to enter Australia from Border Force and NSW Health, but had their travel exemption to continue on to Queensland rejected as they were sitting on the tarmac at Los Angeles Airport.
Mark Kilian and wife Anneli Gericke have been refused entry into Queensland as Mark's father dies from pancreatic cancer.
Mark Kilian and wife Anneli Gericke have been refused entry into Queensland as Mark's father dies from pancreatic cancer. (Mark Kilian)
"We were on the plane taxiing and just about to take off and they decided to call us and say no you've been rejected," Mr Kilian told
NSW Health had granted them an exemption from hotel quarantine on the basis they chartered a private flight from Sydney to the Gold Coast where Mr Kilian's father is.
Mr Kilian's father Frans weighs 44 kilograms.
Mr Kilian's father Frans weighs 44 kilograms. (Supplied)
The couple are both fully vaccinated.
Frans Kilian, 80, has pancreatic cancer and overnight was moved to hospital as his condition worsened.
"We didn't think he was going to make it through yesterday, I think he'd been holding on for us to get there,' Mr Kilian said.
"When he heard we weren't coming he just took a turn."
Mr Kilian said his sick father weighs just 44 kilograms and has stopped eating.
He fears if he and his wife and are made to complete their two weeks in hotel quarantine he won't get to say goodbye to his dad.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has asked her counterparts to show compassion when it comes to granting border exemptions but said she will not intervene in specific cases.
Ms Berejiklian said today that decisions about reuniting families should be based on "human dignity" but that she won't be approaching Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk about the couple's situation.
"My heart breaks when I hear about stories like this," she said.
"New South Wales has always tried to have a compassionate approach especially when there are circumstances such as this one.
"I just ask all of my colleagues to think carefully before preventing families from being united at a very difficult time.
"All I can do as the premier of the largest state is lead by example," Ms Berejiklian added.
"There are ways of doing things safely and compassionately."

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