coronavirus, quarantine breach, canberra, pacific suites, hotel, covid, covid-19, coronavirus
A food delivery worker breached hotel quarantine at the Pacific Suites Hotel after bypassing security and using an alternative entrance to go straight to a traveller’s room. Police have spoken to the worker and believe the breach was unintentional. ACT police, supported by the defence force, have a 24-hour presence at the hotel. The delivery worker was a former employee at the hotel and used a car park entrance and lift to deliver food to someone in quarantine. Police say he had not been aware he was making a delivery to someone in quarantine. ACT Policing COVID-19 Taskforce’s Superintendent Matthew Heather said the food had been placed outside the door and there had been no close contact between the two people. “Quarantine relies on all individuals and staff to appropriately follow health and safety instructions, and ACT Policing would like to thank the current hotel employee for reporting the matter immediately,” he said. “Hotel staff assisted ACT Policing and ACT Health to quickly respond and identify individuals involved. “ACT Policing will participate in the ACT government’s review of hotel quarantine arrangements, as was planned at the conclusion of the quarantine period.” About 120 recently returned travellers are completing their mandatory 14-day quarantine at the Braddon hotel. An ACT Health spokesman on Wednesday confirmed to The Canberra Times authorities were investigating the reported breach. “We are conducting enquiries to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the report,” an ACT Health spokesman said. “While this is being investigated, ACT Health is confident there is no public health risk to the ACT community.” All returned travellers currently quarantining at the Pacific Suites were tested for COVID-19 Wednesday and all returned negative results. About 120 passengers on a Singapore Airlines repatriation flight arrived in Canberra on November 25. They were transported to their hotel quarantine on Northbourne Avenue by Australian Federal Police officers. ACT Policing and Australian Defence Force staff are responsible for overseeing the returning travellers at the Pacific Suites Canberra Hotel. People in hotel quarantine in the ACT are able to have food delivered, but delivery workers are not allowed to drop the food off directly to rooms. READ MORE: The possible breach comes after the ACT this week announced it would not be taking any further repatriation flights for the rest of the year. Chief Minister Andrew Barr had previously said the territory would take an additional flight before Christmas. An ACT Health spokeswoman earlier this week said the territory was working towards accepting more flights next year. “This will allow enough time for the Commonwealth government to co-ordinate a flight and for ACT Health to prepare quarantine arrangements,” she said. “This work includes securing appropriate accommodation, ensuring capacity and resourcing and organising staffing in collaboration with ACT police.” For faster access to the latest Canberra news, download The Canberra Times app for iOS and Android.
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A food delivery worker breached hotel quarantine at the Pacific Suites Hotel after bypassing security and using an alternative entrance to go straight to a traveller’s room.
Police have spoken to the worker and believe the breach was unintentional.
ACT police, supported by the defence force, have a 24-hour presence at the hotel.
The delivery worker was a former employee at the hotel and used a car park entrance and lift to deliver food to someone in quarantine.
Police say he had not been aware he was making a delivery to someone in quarantine.
ACT Policing COVID-19 Taskforce’s Superintendent Matthew Heather said the food had been placed outside the door and there had been no close contact between the two people.
“Quarantine relies on all individuals and staff to appropriately follow health and safety instructions, and ACT Policing would like to thank the current hotel employee for reporting the matter immediately,” he said.
“Hotel staff assisted ACT Policing and ACT Health to quickly respond and identify individuals involved.
“ACT Policing will participate in the ACT government’s review of hotel quarantine arrangements, as was planned at the conclusion of the quarantine period.”
About 120 recently returned travellers are completing their mandatory 14-day quarantine at the Braddon hotel.
“We are conducting enquiries to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the report,” an ACT Health spokesman said.
“While this is being investigated, ACT Health is confident there is no public health risk to the ACT community.”
All returned travellers currently quarantining at the Pacific Suites were tested for COVID-19 Wednesday and all returned negative results.
About 120 passengers on a Singapore Airlines repatriation flight arrived in Canberra on November 25.
They were transported to their hotel quarantine on Northbourne Avenue by Australian Federal Police officers.
ACT Policing and Australian Defence Force staff are responsible for overseeing the returning travellers at the Pacific Suites Canberra Hotel.
People in hotel quarantine in the ACT are able to have food delivered, but delivery workers are not allowed to drop the food off directly to rooms.
The possible breach comes after the ACT this week announced it would not be taking any further repatriation flights for the rest of the year.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr had previously said the territory would take an additional flight before Christmas.
An ACT Health spokeswoman earlier this week said the territory was working towards accepting more flights next year.
“This will allow enough time for the Commonwealth government to co-ordinate a flight and for ACT Health to prepare quarantine arrangements,” she said.
“This work includes securing appropriate accommodation, ensuring capacity and resourcing and organising staffing in collaboration with ACT police.”
