Nearly half of Park Hotel Carlton refugee detainees Covid positive

A 39-year-old Sudanese refugee has become the twenty-second refugee to test positive to Covid.

Refugees detained at the Park Hotel Carlton protest against Border Force's handling of a Covid outbreak in the hotel. Supplied

A 39-year-old Sudanese refugee has become the twenty-second refugee to be infected with Covid at the Park Hotel Carlton.

Forty-six refugees are detained at the hotel as part of the Border Force’s controversial Alternative Place of Detention (APOD) network, which uses housing in the community, hotel rooms and other community housing to detain refugees.

Refugee activists have said an air purifier was installed in rooms at the hotel on October 28, in response to major concerns raised about the risk of further spread through the hotel’s ventilation system.

Speaking at a rally in front of the hotel on Saturday, MP for Cooper Ged Kearney said the situation was “just a disgrace”.

Ms Kearney said she had written to the Home Affairs Minister at the beginning of the pandemic expressing concern for the safety of refugees.

She said it was a stain on the legacy of the Morrison government that they ignored the warnings and allowed the outbreak to happen.

On October 24 Health Minister Martin Foley expressed his concern about the rising cases at the Park Hotel and confirmed the health department had been in contact with the Commonwealth about the facility.

Mr Foley said he would be writing to the Federal Government to detail their concerns.

In an October 30 press release, the ABF said there were multiple nursing staff on-site and a GP was available for telehealth consultations.

Advocates say ‘multiple’ in fact meant just two, and there was no routine to systematically check the welfare of people locked in their rooms.

In a Federal Circuit Court interlocutory hearing on October 21, lawyer Daniel Taylor, representing one of the sick refugees, said advocates had called several ambulances on behalf of the detained refugees but had been prevented from entering the hotel by the Border Force.

The ABF denied it had prevented any ambulances from entering the hotel, claiming the ambulances hadn’t arrived due to triaging.

They gave an undertaking that ambulances would be allowed to enter the hotel to treat sick refugees but requested advocates stop calling them on behalf of refugees.

They said detainees were closely monitored by the detention health service provider staff and are tested, quarantined and provided appropriate medical care.

Mr Taylor called on the Border Force to evacuate the hotel, comparing the situation to an aged care or cruise ship outbreak.

In a press release confirming the first three cases on October 17, the ABF said the detainees were placed into quarantine as soon as they presented with symptoms.

However, refugee advocates in contact with detainees said they presented with symptoms for three days before being tested.

On Sunday, a 35-year-old Kurdish man said he experienced symptoms on October 13 but authorities delayed testing and isolation orders until October 15.

Mr Taylor said testing of the other refugees did not occur until after he sent a letter requesting Covid tests on behalf of his symptomatic client on October 17.

Just 55 per cent of detainees across the entire immigration detention network have been fully vaccinated, according to the ABF.

Mr Taylor said the ABF’s own Covid management documents directed that APODs be treated in the same category as aged care facilities, which should have meant that detainees be given access to the Covid vaccine under phase 1A of the rollout.

Ian Rintoul, a spokesman for the Refugee Action Coalition, said more Covid cases in the Park Hotel were inevitable given at least 10 of the positive cases were interacting with other refugees while symptomatic.

Mr Rintoul raised concerns about the hotel’s ventilation system, which he said was connected between floors.

“They don‘t care if we die in here. I am negative but it is likely everyone in the hotel will get it (Covid). Everyone is sick with worry,” one of the refugees said.

The ABF’s full statement can be read here.

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