Travellers to foot hotel isolations bills as Victorian refused bail for breaking quarantine
Returning SA residents will pay their own mandatory hotel isolation bills, it’s been revealed, as a Victorian man was locked up by a judge after police caught him breaking quarantine.
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South Australian expatriates face being charged for their mandatory two-week coronavirus hotel quarantine.
It comes as soldiers prepare to patrol SA borders and a Melbourne man was arrested in Glenelg for breaching restrictions. State cabinet is expected to authorise charging returnees for their quarantine accommodation at its next meeting on Monday.
State taxpayers have already paid $3.5 million to quarantine returning travellers.
It comes as the Victorian COVID-19 crisis escalated with a record 288 cases and Premier Steven Marshall revealed more SA Health help was being sent.
He revealed more contact tracers would remotely work on Victorian cases while SA Pathology was checking more than 500 tests flown in by the military.
Only essential travellers and local residents can travel into SA through the “hard border” after authorities ruled the escalating COVID-19 crisis posed “a clear threat to public health”.
While SA Health announced today an 11th day of zero daily cases and no “active” patients in quarantine, the Premier said the Victorian crisis was of great concern.
“I think this is a very blunt reminder for every single South Australian just how dangerous this disease is,” he said.
“We must not be complacent. We must do everything we can, like we have been doing, but we must redouble our efforts.”
Police said a Melbourne man, 35, was in custody, accused of breaching COVID-19 directions in Adelaide.
Officers checked on the man, from Keysborough, in Melbourne’s “hotspot” south east, at a Glenelg motel after a tip off he was “not quarantining at the place nominated by him following his entry” in the state.
The Advertiser understands he tried to enter the state without a permit on Wednesday night.
“On arrival, police spotted the man leaving the address in a Holden SUV,” a spokesman said. Patrols then stopped him nearby before discovering he only had a single-night accommodation booking instead of the required 13 nights.
He appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court late today charged with failing to comply with a direction and was refused bail to reappear in court next month.
The breach emerged as Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a national review of the hotel quarantine scheme and a cap on international flights returning to Australia.
The national cabinet also signalled charging international arrivals a universal price for the 14-day quarantine instead of billing taxpayers.
Mr Morrison said the review will examine the training provided to security, hotel and health staff, compliance with the orders as well as cost.
Overseen by former federal health department boss Jane Halton, it will also investigate medical, mental health and financial support.
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In SA, state cabinet is expected on Monday to authorise charging expatriates for their fortnight stay in hotel accommodation in Adelaide.
Taxpayers have paid at least $3.5 million for travellers to stay in two CBD hotels – the Pullman in Hindmarsh Square and the Playford on North Tce.
Some SA residents stayed interstate, so a final bill needs to be reconciled.
Authorities can supervise up to 1200 travellers under hotel guard while the state can accept up to 500 people each week.
SA Health figures show a quarantined person costs taxpayers more than $2800.
Police Commissioner and state co-ordinator Grant Stevens said it was a “significant resource commitment”.
“Australian citizens have had plenty of time to get back to this country and they have been able to do that with no charge,” he said.
Clarifying confusion about testing, he said it wasn’t mandatory but officials had “firepower” to force compliance. No traveller has refused a test, but advice was quarantine was vital.