Quarantine lottery breached rights, New Zealand court rules

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — During the height of pandemic restrictions, thousands of New Zealanders desperate to return home essentially had to roll the dice month after month as they tried to secure a coveted bed in a quarantine hotel run by the military. On Wednesday, a New Zealand court ruled that the government had breached the rights of its own citizens by imposing the lottery-style system on them. A group called Grounded Kiwis had used crowdsourcing to help fund their case against the government. But while they were celebrating their victory, the case may have little impact going forward as New Zealand has since abandoned its zero-tolerance approach to the virus and largely dismantled its contentious quarantine system.