NewsBite

Hot spot quarantiner slams service, food, cleanliness at Howard Springs facility

REVEALED: What people in enforced quarantine at Howard Springs are paying $178.57 a day for > HOT SPOT quarantiner slams service, cleanliness, food

The quarantiner said he had been restricted to his room and balcony after suffering nausea, which he attributed to a lack of sleep and food. Picture: Supplied
The quarantiner said he had been restricted to his room and balcony after suffering nausea, which he attributed to a lack of sleep and food. Picture: Supplied

FOOD delivered without cutlery, used band-aids left in rooms and no visible patrols monitoring health is what people quarantining at Howard Springs have been paying $178.57 a day for.

MORE TOP NT NEWS

Queenslanders enjoy the Territory soil after Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, taken off hotspots list

IT’S ON: Supercars Transport Convoy to go ahead

NT hot spot travel liars given jail sentences over border breaches

One hot spot arrival, who didn’t want his name to be used for fear of losing some of the few rights he had, said one of his first meals – Weetbix, milk and yoghurt, came without a spoon, which took staff three and a half hours to bring back, while dietary requirements weren’t being considered or catered for.

“There’s been a few meals that were okay but most of them were stuff you’d never eat yourself," he said.

“It seems like they’ve just found the cheapest way to get a meal.”

The isolator said he had been restricted to his room and balcony after suffering nausea, which he attributed to a lack of sleep and food. Picture: Supplied
The isolator said he had been restricted to his room and balcony after suffering nausea, which he attributed to a lack of sleep and food. Picture: Supplied

The man said he was in favour of quarantine but had rarely seen it upheld and wasn't satisfied with the level of hygiene.

“I’m absolutely for quarantine but the way they are doing it is sub par and we absolutely could be doing better.,” he said.

“(Through an email) I was told there’s police constantly on patrol … I have failed to see a police patrol or even nurse patrol the entire time I’ve been here.

“The first place I was in was mouldy, it smelt of mould and it took them two days to move me out of there. There was a used band aid on the shelf but they said everything had been cleaned.”

But given the amount paid for the two week stint, which he still had more than a week left of, he expected conditions to be better.

LIMITED TIME – Discounted NT News subscription: Read everything for $1

“For $2500 you could get a far superior room in the city and food and more food for the same price, if not less,,” he said. “

I definitely will be keeping this fight up when I’m out because I’m not happy with people being treated like this.”

The NT Government was contacted for comment.

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.ntnews.com.au/news/northern-territory/used-band-aid-on-the-shelf-isolators-criticises-mandatory-quarantine/news-story/7cce076d5e7c30742239b9ca4b0955bc