Hotspot declaration 'a shambles' for Queensland travellers to NT
An overnight stay in Brisbane to see family and friends cost Joel Preston an extra $2500 and an unplanned two weeks after the Northern Territory government declared the Queensland capital a COVID-19 hotspot on Saturday, giving interstate travellers only a few hours' notice.
Mr Preston said he was notified of the Territory's decision after 8pm on Friday, fewer than four hours before the declaration came into effect at 12.01am.
That meant returning home without the need to pay for two weeks in hotel quarantine was "impossible ... in that time frame", he said.
A staff member in protective medical clothing moves through the arrivals area at Brisbane Airport.Credit:Lisa Maree Williams - Getty Images
NT Health published a Facebook post declaring Brisbane, Ipswich and Logan as COVID-19 hotspots about 1am on Saturday - an hour after the health advice took effect.
NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner posted the same announcement on his official Facebook page at 7.24pm on Friday - fewer than five hours before the health advice took effect.
Mr Preston landed in Alice Springs about 11.30am local time and several passengers on his flight, who had not seen the overnight news, were not aware they would be forced to pay $2500 for two weeks' hotel quarantine until they stepped out of the plane.
"There's a difference between being cautious and being ridiculous ... especially when there is hardly anything happening in Brisbane and Queensland regarding COVID-19," he said.
"If the NT government is going to do this at such short notice, they should not expect us to be paying ... and it's not like the airlines announced anything either.
"It was a shambles [when we landed in Alice Springs], we were sitting at the airport for two hours waiting for the bus to take us to quarantine, most people were quite annoyed, especially those who had been asleep on Friday night and not seen the announcement from the NT government."
Mr Preston said if he had stayed 600 metres closer to Brisbane Airport, he would have avoided hotel quarantine upon his return to the Territory.
"I got caught in a rough loophole, if I had been in a hotel within five kilometres of Brisbane Airport, I wouldn't have had to quarantine, but my hotel was 5.6 kilometres from the airport," he said.
Mr Preston was born in the Northern Territory and grew up in Cairns. He has family in Cairns, the Sunshine Coast and Townsville, while his parents live in Alice Springs.
His parents have been able to deliver groceries and clothing to him at the Mercure in Alice Springs, but the only time he is allowed out of his room is for a 30-minute exercise every day.
"Quarantine itself is all right, but what are you going to do? You've just got to stay in your room and watch movies, really," he said.