Covid-positive Queensland rideshare driver’s alleged attempt to leave hospital room

The rideshare driver at the centre of a Covid scare has allegedly been found outside his hospital room days after he was ‘too sick to speak’.

A Queensland rideshare driver at the centre of last week’s Covid scare has been returned to his room after he allegedly tried to leave.

Police were called to Gold Coast University Hospital over the weekend following reports of a disturbance.

Duran Raman was allegedly found outside his room on Sunday despite being confined to it after testing positive to the virus last week.

#BREAKING: A 36-year-old man infected with COVID-19 has allegedly tried to escape the COVID ward at the Gold Coast University Hospital. #9Todaypic.twitter.com/MqXgFsKULA

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) October 24, 2021

Deputy chief health officer Peter Aitken said the 36-year-old hadn’t left the ward.

“There’s no risk to the public, no risk to other patients and no risk to other staff,” he said on Monday.

“The situation is in control.”

Dr Aitken said while Mr Raman had been “relatively co-operative” with authorities, he had been difficult to get information from.

“He has been very sick and that’s limited his ability to talk to us,” he said.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said while the alleged situation was concerning, health officials were well equipped to handling all types of behaviour.

“They’re used to dealing with people who might not want to be there, who might become aggressive, so they have systems in place to deal with that,” he said.

Monday 25 October – coronavirus cases in Queensland:

0 new cases detected in Queensland overnight.#covid19pic.twitter.com/sibTRe40j2

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) October 25, 2021

A Queensland Police Service spokesman said there was no ongoing investigation into the matter.

Mr Raman, who lives on the Gold Coast, returned to the Sunshine State on October 10 after having travelled to hotspots interstate.

After testing positive to Covid-19, he was transferred to hospital.

Last week police confirmed they were investigating whether Mr Raman, who worked as a rideshare driver, crossed the Queensland border illegally, but chief health officer Jeannette Young said he was “very unwell” and unable to provide information to authorities.

“They’re keeping a very close eye on him – he’s on high-flow oxygen and he’ll probably need to go into intensive care,” the top doctor told reporters on Friday.

“That is terrible. He is a very young, fit man who was not vaccinated and he’s now extremely sick.

Duran Raman was last week too sick to speak.

“He was so sick that he probably hasn’t been out in the community, so we don’t have exposure venues for him other than his place of residence.”

The Queensland government had earlier announced Mr Raman had not used the Covid-19 check-in app since early September.

News of him allegedly leaving his hospital room comes as Queensland recorded another day of no new cases.

Originally published as Covid-positive Queensland rideshare driver’s alleged attempt to leave hospital room