Woman fined over Cairns hotel quarantine escape act

A Sydney woman who scaled two balconies and kicked down a door to escape mandatory hotel quarantine will finish her two-week isolation at a North Queensland watch house.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick on Tuesday. Picture: Dan Peled

A Sydney woman who scaled two balconies and kicked down a door to escape her mandatory hotel quarantine stay will finish her two-week isolation at a North Queensland watch house.

The woman, 32, went missing from her Cairns Pacific International Hotel room on day five of a two-week quarantine stay.

Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the woman was arrested at her mother’s house on Monday night and given a $2500 fine.

“Quarantine can be a very difficult time for people, particularly if they’re by themselves,” he said.

“Nonetheless … the whole point of quarantine is not to mix with the community.”

One new local Covid case was confirmed in Queensland on Tuesday, an asymptomatic student nurse. A close contact of another confirmed case, the Kangaroo Point woman was training as a nurse through Griffith University and doing a placement at Logan Hospital.

Chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said given the woman has no symptoms, it was hard to determine how long she has been infectious but confirmed she had not been on campus or at the hospital since June 15.

The case update came as Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick ruled out targeted support for hospitality businesses affected by the latest lockdown.

Brooklyn Standard, a small live music venue in Brisbane’s CBD, will bring in a $10 door fee to help cover costs as gathering restrictions continue.

“With current restrictions once again placed upon us in relation to the amount of customers we are allowed … at any one time, this greatly reduces the amount of revenue which keeps the venue running day to day,” it wrote on Facebook.

“Rest assured we are going back to free entry when all of the restrictions are lifted and we can all once again hit the dancefloor.”

Mr Dick said rescue packages would only be considered if total shutdowns lasted longer than seven days. Greater Brisbane’s four-day lockdown ended on July 3 but mask wearing, density restrictions and a dancefloor ban will remain until at least July 16.

“We know after the January lockdown spending bounced back by 10 per cent following the three day lockdown. Similarly in March retail sales were up 0.3 per cent for the month,” Mr Dick said.

“So we are getting the benefit of short, sharp lockdowns.”