Hotel Grand Chancellor guests caught on camera again passing items across balconies

Returned travellers quarantined at the Hotel Grand Chancellor have again been snapped leaning over balconies and sharing items just months after similar behaviour was caught on camera.

Guests share items between balconies at Brisbane’s Hotel Grand Chancellor on May 25.

Returned travellers quarantined at the Hotel Grand Chancellor have again been snapped leaning over balconies and sharing items after concerns about similar guest behaviour in late March.

Queensland police have issued formal warnings to two men from separate rooms spotted interacting at the hotel on Tuesday evening.

Spring Hill resident Bob Price, who has twice now captured shocking displays at the quarantine hotel, said warnings didn’t seem to be deterring guests.

“It’s like groundhog day,” Mr Price said.

“Obviously I’m not monitoring the hotel everyday, I just walk by some evenings, so it’s pretty telling that I’ve seen this behaviour twice.

“If people are just getting warnings then there’s no real penalty at all for not complying with quarantine requirements.”

Mr Price said the behaviour was particularly concerning given the current Melbourne outbreak had been linked to a man who caught the virus in South Australian hotel quarantine two weeks ago.

Formal warnings were issued to two men at the Grand Chancellor in late March when they were seen passing items and “breathing in each other’s faces” 24 hours into a three-day Brisbane lockdown.

Quarantined guests share items over a balcony in March.

Police in March told Mr Price that measures had been taken to address this type of behaviour in a timely fashion.

“I don’t know what measures they’ve taken but it doesn’t seem to be enough,” Mr Price.

“I had just gone out for a walk to see the sunset on Tuesday and when I saw this again I thought ‘damn it’.

“I had a feeling like I wish I didn’t have to worry about this.”

A Queensland Police spokeswoman said police were aware of the incident involving hotel quarantine guests interacting.

“Police assigned to the hotel have issued formal warnings to the men involved,” she said.

“The QPS is committed to ensuring participants within the hotel quarantine program adhere to their obligations to keep themselves and the community safe.”

An outbreak at the hotel in January involving four guests, a cleaner and her partner triggered an earlier three-day lockdown for Greater Brisbane.

A report into the cluster stated a review team was unable to determine the exact cause of transmission and no direct breaches in quarantine or security were identified.

Concerns over COVID-19 spreading through the hotel arose again in mid-March when three cases were linked to the quarantine facility.