Queensland Health rejects disabled woman’s request to self isolate
A Brisbane mother has slammed Queensland Health for its “cruel system” after her autistic daughter’s request for self isolation was rejected and she was forced into hotel quarantine.
QLD News
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A Brisbane mother has slammed Queensland Health for its “cruel” system of quarantining her autistic daughter who suffers from panic attacks, after her application for self isolation was rejected.
Gabby Brooks, 28, flew from Melbourne arriving on August 13, with her mother Claudia Roel applying for exemption for her daughter on the 9th to self isolate in their Brisbane home.
Ms Roel is the carer for Ms Brooks, who has now been in quarantine for over a week at the Next Hotel.
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However the exemption was rejected by the Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young on the grounds that the request “does not meet the threshold for exceptional circumstances”.
Ms Roel was told she could enter quarantine with her daughter for the required 14 days to provide care and support.
“It’s terrible – it’s terrible for someone without a disability but for a person with a disability, it’s the cruellest thing they can do,” she said.
“The cruelty with the system is just horrendous and beyond comprehension.
“She suffers from panic attacks, she cannot understand why she’s not supposed to be with me … it is a very stressful situation.”
Ms Roel said her daughter, who tested negative in Melbourne but has not completed further testing in Queensland, has difficulty understanding the direction of health authorities while in quarantine and spends most of the day on the phone to her mother for support.
The global quarantine requirements in the Border Restrictions Direction lists that a person unable to live independently without ongoing or regular support, including disability support, due to significant health needs, may have a carer or support person quarantined at the nominated premises with them at their own expense.
Ms Roel said she cannot afford to do that, with her daughter already on a disability pension and the room costing $3700 for two people.
A Queensland Health spokesman said along with stringent border controls, social distancing, and robust testing, quarantine is an important tool in the fight to keep Queenslanders safe from COVID-19.
“There are very few reasons why an exemption from quarantine will be granted,” he said.
