KEITH and Nicky Perkins arrived in Nambucca Heads from Victoria on 8 July to provide some respite care for Keith’s 97-year-old father Ted Perkins.

Their plan was to stay for two weeks to provide Ted with some additional company, taking him out for walks and making him some home cooked meals.

Usually Ted receives Meals on Wheels, and to receive a meal cooked by family for a while was a nice treat.

Ms Perkins told News Of The Area, “We came up for two weeks to provide some care, to see Keith’s dad, and now we have been here for nine weeks.”

When they travelled up to Nambucca Heads the LGA was still a green zone, and they were also coming from a green zone in VIC.

The day after Mr and Mrs Perkins arrived the Victorian border slammed shut to all of NSW.

Both Mr and Mrs Perkins are now double vaccinated, and are missing being at the home in VIC.

They applied for their first permit to go back to VIC after they received their first vaccination dose, and received no communication about their application until after the travel date that they had picked had passed.

When they did receive notification there was no reason provided, just the fact that it was rejected.

This has been the pattern with each application.

Having received their fourth permit rejection on the weekend, Mrs Perkins said, “So the frustration and anxiety worsens.

“There’s no explanation, just a standard letter.”

Ted’s home is not large enough for them to stay in, so there is a financial expense to this unplanned extended stay.

“We are missing our grandchildren, our home, and of course there are medical appointments that we can’t get to when we are not allowed to go home.”

“We have mapped out a route to get home that will not take us through any red zones, and we are double vaccinated.

“Keith and I are fully aware that we need to get a Covid test 48 hours beforehand and that we need to go straight home and isolate for 14 days.

“This includes getting another COVID test once home.”

The bonus is that they get to spend more time with Keith’s dad.

It still isn’t home though.

 

By Rachel MCGREGOR-ALLEN