‘Enjoy the hotel and quit whining’: Police commissioner

Returned travellers forced into the 14-day isolation in Sydney hotels say they have been deprived of adequate food and medicine and feel like “test guinea pigs”. But the NSW Police Commissioner says it has to be done for the good of the community.

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Stop complaining — that’s the message NSW police commissioner is sending returned travellers who are quarantined inside luxury hotels.

The blunt directive came after a revolt among passengers quarantined in Sydney’s Swissotel which saw one resident attempting to leave and another banging her head against a wall in protest.

Under the government’s strict measures to stop coronavirus spreading through the community, all travellers returning from overseas are being quarantined inside hotel rooms for two weeks.

Police at the Swissotel in Market St, Sydney. Picture: Steve Tyson

Police and defence force personnel were on Sunday on hand at Sydney Airport to ensure the transfer of all arrivals.

But people among the almost 300 passengers from the Norwegian Jewel cruise ship, who returned to Australia and were put in quarantine on Thursday, claim they have been deprived of fresh air, adequate food and medicine, and told of hearing people “yelling and banging” on walls.

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NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said anyone complaining about their situation needed a reality check.

“I know there will be people who are unhappy with the bed, the pillow, the heater, dinner and all those type of things,” Mr Fuller said on Sunday.

“The reality is they are in a hotel room, and yes, they will be isolated for 14 days. That is for their own protection, the protection of their family members and the protection of the NSW community.”

The Daily Telegraph has been told one man even tried to pack his suitcase and leave the hotel, while another resident was seen banging her head against the wall.

Multiple quarantined passengers yesterday complained about not being able to get any fresh air, including News Corp photographer Tom Huntley.

“None of the windows open so there is no fresh air. The food was not nutritious or it was delivered at strange times, you could tell no one was prepared for this,” Mr Huntley said.

Kev and Libby Moorse from Tasmania have been quarantined at Swissotel Sydney since Thursday morning. Picture: Supplied

Kev Moorse and his wife Libby said they felt like test dummies for the scheme that was announced on Friday afternoon.

He said he and his wife arrived to find those already in isolation being deprived of essential food and medicine, with one elderly woman complaining of missing food deliveries and a diabetic man saying he could not get any insulin.

“There have been people yelling and banging on the walls,” he said.

“Really we have not been told anything,” Mr Moorse told The Daily Telegraph.

Dianne Griffiths said another traveller who had a panic attack inside her room was not allowed to open her door.

Police Commissioner Mick Fuller suggested the process would not be perfect on day one.

“Normally it would take three to six months to plan an operation like this. We pulled this together in 24 hours,” he said.

“The hotels have to take some responsibility in relation to this. They have said they can manage this. It is a partnership at the end of the day,” he said.

Police and security guards regularly patrol the hallways to make sure no one is out of their rooms.

A NSW Police spokesman said this was a routine procedure for all the hotels being used to quarantine travellers.

There was a heavy police and army presence for the first lot of international arrivals landing at Sydney Airport on Sunday.

Travellers were led onto a bus at the international terminal Sydney Airport, to be taken to a hotel for quarantine. Picture: Damian Shaw

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has slammed a group of doctors who fled quarantine after being told to self-isolate.

The 33 fleeing doctors, who flew in from Chile before new quarantine rules were mandated, could now face legal action.

“They did the wrong thing,” Scott Morrison said. “And law enforcement authorities will be following up those matters across those jurisdictions.”

Yesterday, police expected about 3000 passengers to return to Australia through Sydney airport.

By lunchtime today, 30 returned travellers had been sent into “high-level isolation”, because they were feeling unwell or displaying coronavirus-like symptoms, Commissioner Fuller said.