Jacinda Ardern said the situation was ‘unacceptable’ (Mark Mitchell/New Zealand Herald via AP/PA)New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the releasing of two women from quarantine before they were tested for Covid-19 was “unacceptable”. The women, who are New Zealand citizens, had flown from London to visit a dying parent and were granted an exemption to leave their mandatory 14-day quarantine early on compassionate grounds. Ms Ardern has assigned a top military leader to oversee the nation’s border quarantine measures after the “unacceptable failure”. Health officials said the women had no contact with other people on their road trip. She said she had appointed Air Commodore Digby Webb, the assistant chief of defence, to oversee all quarantine and managed isolation facilities.

Source: Irish Independent June 18, 2020 07:07 UTC