A man undertaking hotel quarantine at an Adelaide medi-hotel has escaped overnight in what SA Police says is the first such breach in the state since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Key points:
- A man doing hotel quarantine was out of his room in the community for eight hours last night
- Police are investigating how he escaped
- A NSW man has been charged after being taken by taxi to the Hindley Street police station
Police said the international traveller was out of his hotel room from 10:00pm last night to 6:00am this morning.
They said he “deliberately breached hotel security and subsequently spent a number of hours in the community” but returned voluntarily.
He arrived in Adelaide Tuesday, August 3, and has tested negative for COVID-19 four times, including this morning.
He was staying at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Hindley Street.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said it was “disappointing that despite our robust security arrangements for our medi-hotels, this breach of security occurred”.
“There have been about 22,000 guests in our medi-hotel program throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and this is the first time we have seen such a breach,” he said.
“A senior officer has been assigned to investigate the circumstances of this security breach and the outcome of that investigation will be provided once it is completed in the coming days.
“Action against this man regarding the breach of quarantine conditions will be addressed as a part of the investigation.”
NSW man in Hindley Street charged
Another 21-year-old man who turned up at the nearby Hindley Street police station yesterday saying he had been in NSW in the past 14 days, but had not been in quarantine, has been charged with two counts of breaching the Emergency Management Act.
Police have now said he drove from NSW via Victoria on Wednesday and allegedly failed to complete a cross-border travel application.
ABC News
)He left his car in Mount Barker, in the Adelaide Hills, and took a taxi to the city.
But, when he allegedly failed to pay the fare, the driver took him to the police station, which was then cleared and cleaned.
About five hours later, he was put in another taxi and taken to the Pullman medi-hotel.
The NSW man was arrested and charged today.
He was refused bail and will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court at a later date.
Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier this morning said it appeared he had since tested negative for COVID-19 since she had not been notified otherwise.
Police this afternoon said the taxi driver also tested negative.
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