Guests in quarantine at Peppers Hotel at centre of Adelaide cluster ordered to quarantine for another 14 days
Distressed guests at the Peppers medi-hotel have been told they must remain there for another two weeks, with SA Health saying it’s too risky to move them.
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Guests staying at the medi-hotel at the centre of the Parafield cluster have been told they will need to start their quarantine again, with many becoming frustrated and distressed.
SA Health ordered the extension after a “full risk assessment” of the hotel, where three workers contracted the disease in the first week of this month but were not tested until last Saturday.
Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said she understood their frustration.
“I absolutely sympathise with them but we have to weigh that up with the risk of it getting out into our community,’’ she said.
Bus transport has not yet arrived to take the patients and some have taken to their balconies to vent their anger at the lack of communication.
Their additional two weeks in lockdown will be funded by the taxpayer.
“The facility will be thoroughly deep cleaned to continue as a medi-hotel in the future,’’ an SA Health spokeswoman said.
She said it was too risky to move the guests, who will have to remain at Peppers for their renewed quarantine.
One guest who has contacted The Advertiser has complained her scheduled release this morning was cancelled at 11.30pm last night, via a letter pushed under the door of the room where she had already been trapped for 14 days.
The woman, who was quarantined on arrival from the UK, said the guests at the Waymouth St hotel were not being treated as people.
“It is outrageous how human beings are being treated who have maintained quarantine in isolation for a full 14 days, have been given negative test results,’’ she said.
“SA Health should be looking at us as humans not just numbers.
“This is abominable.”
Sam Kruckemeyer said he and his partner were being “well looked after” by hotel staff but the 14-day extension to their already completed 14-day lockdown was unnecessary.
“This is day 15 today so we were ready to head home at 11 with lots of plans for family so now to have to do another 14 days seems pretty ridiculous,’’ he said.
He said the pair had been on a one year working holiday but had been trying to get home for six months and had been locked down for a total of three months.
Both had tested negative twice to COVID-19 since arriving at Peppers 14 days ago.
Another who talked to The Advertiser on the condition she not be named was critical of the lack of information but praised Peppers staff as “great”.
“There’s a gap in communication. The slips of paper were delivered (under doors) last night, and the staff said that they didn’t deliver them, and that the police or health department had bypassed them.”
Some guests made contact with family standing on Waymouth St below, and one highly agitated man appeared on a balcony with his children, aged 3 and 5.
“We have been here for two weeks using the same sheets. I want to speak to some official who will understand. I have done everything I have been required to do by the government and the country,’’ he said.
“This trip has cost me $30,000 and I’m on the verge of losing my house. They don’t care.”
The man terminated the call when authorities appeared at his door to check on his welfare and that of the children.
Peppers is the epicentre of the COVID-19 cluster, where two security staff and one back of house staff were able to spread the disease to the Adelaide community because they were not tested by SA health at the hotel.
An SA Health statement said guests were phoned before providing written information to them about the move.
The hotel will be deep cleaned to continue as a medi-hotel in the future.
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