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Let those locked up/down breathe fresh air

Let those locked up/down breathe fresh air

The two of us are currently in quarantine in the Travelodge on Wentworth Ave, Sydney, having arrived from London due to a death in the family.

We cannot leave the hotel room for 14 days and the windows don’t open.

According to the apparently-current directive from NSW Health:

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/advice-for-travellers.aspx

If you are completely well and do not have symptoms you can leave your home/hotel for brief periods, such as to go for a walk or exercise outdoors. You must wear a surgical mask and avoid close contact with other people at all times, by keeping a minimum 1.5 metre distance. You should avoid any public areas where gatherings of people are likely to occur.

Why is the NSW Health directive, which specifically addresses quarantined travellers, not being followed?

An Australian prisoner in solitary confinement typically spends 22hrs locked up. 24hrs x 14days smacks of civil liberty violation to me. Unless a window cleaner is abseiling passed our upper floor window, where is the transmission risk if the window is cracked open?

There are currently 3600 people quarantined in hotels according to the policeman at hotel reception when checking in. I write to you on behalf of all of us

– Name supplied but withheld 200620

2 Comments

  1. Agree totally. I’ve entered NSW from Victoria, having not travelled overseas, and am in hotel quarantine. Our current numbers are less than that of NSW. I understand quarantine, but why no opening windows?

    All I ask for is some fresh air.

    Simon
  2. I would like to strongly support these comments. We are in an identical situation as a couple in an airless room with no option to leave or breath fresh air for greater than 14 days. As you say, a breach of our civil liberties and worse treatment than for prisoners. We also left for and returned from London due to the death of my mother. How can the Australian government continue to treat its citizens in this manner? And then to charge people a large sum for the privilege of incarceration and literally being fed leftover airline food? And this is based on poor understanding of transmission methods of the disease (which is obviously a challenge as worldwide experts disagree) and thus taking an absolutely excessively safe but draconian approach, when as you comment, appropriate hand washing, masks, and staying distanced is all that would be required. We send home patients who have tested positive for COVID to self isolate from community testing centres and hospitals. Post the Ruby Princess, you don’t want everyone leaving in public transport but there must be alternative options (private transport, state sponsored COVID safe cabs etc). Utterly frustrated

    Jeremy

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