Coronavirus Australia live: QLD hotel cluster debacle spreads

The debacle surrounding a cluster of the UK super strain at a Brisbane hotel has spread interstate, with residents ordered to test and isolate. 

The debacle surrounding a cluster of the 'mutant' UK virus strain at a Brisbane hotel has spread interstate, with certain residents in Victoria and NSW ordered to test and isolate immediately. 

 

Anyone in NSW who has been at Brisbane's Hotel Grand Chanceller since December 30 – either as a returned traveller or as a staff member – to immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days after they were last at the hotel, regardless of their test result.

NSW Health has also requested these people call 1300 066 055 for further advice.

In a statement, NSW Health said they had been notified by their Queensland counterparts that there were NSW people staying at the hotel who have since returned to NSW.

"This variant is known to spread more easily from person to person than other strains of the COVID-19 virus," the department said.

Victorians have been issued the same advice, but are instead asked to call 1800 675 398 and only need to quarantine until they receive a negative result. 

Meanwhile, a man told he has to complete back-to-back stints in quarantine has said the experience is starting to feel like he’s a prisoner, as he was preparing to leave moments before he got the bad news.

Umair Ahsan had just completed his quarantine at the Grand Chancellor when he was told he had to quarantine again due to an outbreak of a highly infectious mutant UK strain at the hotel.

Mr Ahsan arrived at the Grand Chancellor in December and has taken two coronavirus tests, both which returned negative results.

“We were supposed to leave yesterday night and my friend was downstairs to pick me up,” Mr Ashan said. He said he then heard he’d be required to do another quarantine in a new hotel.

“It feels like a jail now. We need to do another quarantine in another hotel.”

Visit our latest blog here or read on for all the earlier updates.