Residents of Peppers Broadbeach concerned over lack of information over coronavirus case

A resident of the Gold Coast apartment tower at the centre of Queensland’s first confirmed case of coronavirus says he has been left in the dark as concerns mount over the possible spread of the outbreak.

RESIDENTS at a Gold Coast apartment tower where a man was yesterday confirmed as Queensland’s first coronavirus patient fear they’ve been left in the dark as concerns mount over the possible spread of the outbreak.

It is understood the coronavirus patient, a 44-year-old Chinese national from Wuhan, had been staying in a privately rented apartment in the same building as the luxury Peppers Broadbeach resort.

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Emergency personnel in full hazmat gear entering Peppers Broadbeach resort. Picture: MEGA TheMegaAgency.com

It is believed he was staying on the 37th floor of the iconic Gold Coast high-rise, which is often a venue of choice for visiting celebrities.

Guests and resident staying in the building have contacted The Courier-Mail expressing their frustration at a lack of information or reassurance coming from hotel management.

A resident in the Oracle in Broadbeach, who asked not to be identified, said they had contacted Peppers concerned after sharing the same elevator as him.

“Peppers have done nothing, we know as much as the media does,” he said.

“We’ve been in the same building as him – shared the same lifts with him.

“We’ve contacted Peppers to find out what we should do and they can’t tell us anything.”

Peppers is part of the Accor stable of hotels.

Other guests staying in the Oracle apartments on the Gold Coast only found out a resident had Queensland’s first case of novel coronavirus on social media.

Leaving Oracle with his young son, a tourist from Canberra said the hotel “should have been a bit more transparent and concerned with the wellbeing and safety of guests”.

“My partner noticed on social media and went down here (to reception) and the girl was very blasé about it. She didn’t seem too concerned about it and she wasn’t even sure about it, she had to check with a manager,” he said.

“Then she got back and said it was affecting the lifts and she would keep us updated. She never did.”

In a statement, an Accor spokesman said the infected man was not a guest of the Peppers hotel, but full precautions were being taken in accordance with guidelines from health department officials.

“The safety and wellbeing of our guests and colleagues is our highest priority and we are following the advice of the Australian Government’s Department of Health to further limit any risk,” the statement said.

“Cleanliness and hygiene are always a high priority for us. On being alerted to a potential risk in the Oracle Building we acted immediately and carried out additional sanitisation protocols, which included more frequent deep cleaning and disinfecting of the areas that form part of the hotel.”

Private residences in the building share several common features including entrances, elevator and common areas.