Coronavirus: Cairns hotel quarantine plea to go easy on booze

A Cairns hotel has reissued ­warnings to occupants under COVID-19 quarantine to refrain from excessive drinking and anti-social behaviour.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: David Clark

A Cairns hotel has reissued ­warnings to occupants under COVID-19 quarantine to refrain from excessive drinking and anti-social behaviour after a spate of complaints about loud music and “balcony hopping”.

The Esplanade Hotel this week gave occupants copies of a police “official warning” — first issued in May — that alcohol supplies would be limited to a “6 pack of premix drinks/beer” or a bottle of wine per room under quarantine.

It comes as police confirmed that since mid-April at least 185 people had lied on their border declaration forms in various ways and could not be found when officers conducted compliance checks on their self-quarantine orders.

In total, 387 of more than 2300 allowed to self-quarantine could not be found at their nominated address, with 125 leaving the state and 17 found to be at an alternative residence due to personal circumstances.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said despite the breaches there were no concerns about the spread of the virus in the state, with just one new case on Wednesday — a member of the ADF returning from overseas — taking the tally to just three people.

Ms Palaszczuk said police were still hunting for the people who had lied before going into self-quarantine.

She said NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had knocked back a request to temporarily move Queensland’s border south, to take in the NSW town of Tweed Heads.

“All I wanted to do was make it easier,” she said. “I’ve tried and unfortunately she’s come back and said no.’’

Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the majority of people entering Queensland had done the right thing.

“It only takes one person to do the wrong thing and bring COVID into this state and we end up with an outbreak,” he said.

Queensland has moved to mandatory hotel quarantine.

A person in quarantine at the Esplanade Hotel sent The Aust­ralian a warning letter, left on his pillow, which said there had been complaints of bad behaviour.

“This behaviour includes verbally abusing people on the street, the hotel workers and other occupants, as well as playing loud music,’’ the letter from acting superintendent Stephen Kersley said.

“It has also been brought to our attention that a small number of persons have been ‘balcony hopping’ into other rooms and trading property across hallways and balconies. This behaviour is in clear breach of quarantine which can bring heavy fines.”