Interstate Travellers In Cairns Have Been Released Early From Hotel Quarantine
Says nurse currently at hotel facility
A room in Cairns Pacific Hotel. Source: Pacific Hotel website
A nurse has told Newscorp staff released interstate travellers from hotel Quarantine after isolating for just 7 days, including those unvaccinated.
They were released early from Cairns Pacific Hotel, following an influx in arrivals despite locals not having the option to isolate themselves at home.
A nurse who has been isolating at the hotel was left was shocked when the public health directive changed last Friday.
"They started letting people out who had only been here for seven days, including unvaccinated people. But four days later when there are rooms available they won’t allow anymore home quarantine," she said.
The nurse who is a Covid-19 vaccinator at Cairns Private Hospital was not deemed an essential worker or granted exemption. She went to Melbourne for her son's spinal surgery but was never in the community during her visit.
Despite being fully vaccinated and having three negative Covid-19 tests in the past fortnight she says she has been denied the right to isolate at her empty home.
“If the hotel is full they are happy to send people home to self quarantine after seven days – their risk to the community is deemed to be low. But, if the hotel has rooms available they detain people for 14 days on the basis that their risk to the community is high," she said.
“I’m sure the public are unaware that people from interstate are leaving quarantine early due to the hotel being at full capacity," she added.
The Pacific Hotel in Cairns. Source: Pacific Hotel website. The news comes off the back of QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announcing a pause on interstate arrivals from hotspots for two weeks. She claimed the state’s hotel quarantine facilities have been overwhelmed.
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