Flights crews from Covid hot spots mixing with unmasked drivers, staff at Gold Coast hotel

Flight crews travelling from Covid hot spots are staying at a Gold Coast hotel, mixing with unmasked staff.

Flight crew from Covid hot spots are reportedly staying at a non-quarantine Gold Coast hotel and mixing with unmasked drivers and staff.

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young addressed the claims at a media conference on Thursday morning.

Dr Young was asked about flight crews staying at the voco Gold Coast in Surfers Paradise, previously an official State Government quarantine hotel.

“It is a hotel which looks after flight attendants and flight crew that come in from hot spots,” the reporter told Dr Young.

“We saw a cleaner there who wasn’t wearing a mask, operating on several different floors. “The driver for the aircrew also wasn’t wearing a mask in an enclosed space with the aircrew.

“Is there any circumstances where that would be acceptable?”

Dr Young responded that the voco had not been used as an official quarantine hotel since the end of January and flight crews were able to quarantine at home under national protocols.

“This is not a Queensland Health or a Queensland Government quarantine hotel,” she said.

“Flight crew can quarantine at home - that’s been allowed under the national protocol because we need planes to keep flying.”

Pressed by the reporter about flight crew mixing with unmasked workers, Dr Young replied: “People can live in their own accommodation when they’ve come in and they’re part of flight crew. That is part of the national protocol. We’re not involved in hotels that aren’t quarantine hotels.”

Further comment was being sought from Queensland Health and the voco Gold Coast.