A pregnant New Zealand journalist who was stranded in Afghanistan by her home country’s Covid-19 border policy said on Tuesday she will return home after her government finally offered her a pathway back.
The offer amounted to a backdown by New Zealand after officials had earlier insisted that Bellis needed to reapply for a spot in the country’s quarantine hotels. Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said Bellis had been offered a voucher for a room.
“I will be returning to my home country New Zealand at the beginning of March to give birth to our baby girl,” Bellis said. “We are so excited to return home and be surrounded by family and friends at such a special time.”
Her case had quickly becoming an embarrassment to New Zealand, which has thousands of citizens waiting abroad for space to open in the border quarantine hotels. Bellis said she wanted to thank fellow New Zealanders for their support.