Travellers to pay $3,000 for Sydney hotel quarantine

To be fair, if you've been ignoring government advice to return home for 3 months, you should wear the costs if you want to return to Australia.

Some people have been unable to get back at all. My dad went to Malaysia as his dad, my grandfather, passed away in March- unfortunately Malaysia Airlines cancelled all flights out and Malaysia imposed a strict quanrintine. Dad's finally taken the first flight out to Aus early July - won't be amazing to get hit by this fee on top.

Also, the quality of the food still looks rubbish, why so high a fee?

Of course there will always be exceptions, and hopefully the hardship thing helps. I think the original premise was a bit over simplistic..

Many have said the food quality has improved. People should not be getting a bill for this.

He won't be hit with that fee. As per above.

I agree with you. It's been months and there have been repatriation flights as well. If someone has chosen to ignore it why should I have to pay for their 2 weeks at a 5 star hotel. I can't imagine someone being anywhere and completely oblivious to the outside world.

Exactly right - and they they have nerve to complain about the free food they get.

You're right in saying it has been months. We have been in government enforced lock down since March 16. Our employer refused to let us leave early and then it became impossible to do so. The few repatriation flights that were made available were exiting from other states that we could not get to; domestic flights, buses, and trains ceased to operate and state borders were closed. We were contained within our living compound for 13 weeks. Believe me, if there was a chance to leave we would have jumped at the opportunity. I still pay taxes in Australia and agree that the burden placed on the economy is unfair. I would happily make a contribution to the cost if it meant I could get home, but I also think the government is being ripped off at $65 per person, per day for food bills. What 'average' Australian family would budget for this much per day? If it's wagu and wine then perhaps, but who will then pay my coronary medical costs!

Give me the name of the 5 star hotel that is supplying 3 meals per day room service for $65 and I'm there! Some of them charge $40 just for breakfast.

Me too!

My employer also refused to let me return home to Australia until the beginning of May, by which time the Indonesian government closed all immigration offices in Jakarta, consequently preventing my repatriation until the end of July. I couldn't book an airline ticket before the fee-paying date because i had no clear information about the re-opening of government offices due to extended lockdowns, just as we are now seeing in every state in Australia. I have not worked since April 30 and it seems unlikely that i will find a job anytime in the near future, so it is unfair to be forced to pay $2000-$3000 and endure isolation like a caged animal. No matter how comfortable the room is, it is mentally challenging to stay sane under such arbitrary conditions. If anyone thinks it is a 'holiday' then you should try having no human contact for 14 days yourself (apart from two nurses who stop by for 2 minutes to test you for COVID-19 on day 2 and day 12).

Not everyone can pack up their lives and leave overnight. Some might have work contracts, schools, study or homes let alone businesses, and nothing to return home to.

In fact, many people could not leave their host country immediately - they would if they could. It's amazing that many people are very close-minded and quite ignorant. People don't have to experience to live overseas to be able to understand these things, just have empathy & open your mind.

Quite ignorant of you to assume that the reason people aren't returning home is because they are enjoying themselves somewhere overseas. There are so many reasons that people are not returning home straight away. I'm currently in England on a working visa and it ends in September. I have a job contract that pays well and was lucky enough to stay in employment through a really tough time. Why would I come home straight away to a crumbling economy without a job? Parts of england are still in lockdown. Which means we are not allowed to travel. Don't know about you but taking a 24 hour flight , transiting through affected countries doesn't sound very appealing to me. So why not stay on when I've still got time left on my visa? But when it does end, and I return home, I'll be hit with a $3000 bill to quarantine rather than going home to my family who I haven't seen in a year. Yeah, lucky me.

Firstly who said we need to stay 2 weeks and in a 5 star hotel? They could easily be doing a COVID test and within 3 days we be released. You're forgetting here that we didn't choose any of this we are forced to do so. So if we have to be forced to stay 2 unnecessary weeks in a 5 star hotel then the government should be paying the bills. 

You're literally complaining about helping citizens to go back home while you're literally paying, with your tax $, for inmates to be fed and locked after 🤦🏻‍♀️

Looked after*

How very ignorant. Some people are overseas on work contracts and have set up home that they could not pack up and leave. E.g we booked our flights home for Nov (when our visa expires) and did this in Feb prior to any of this. We will get a fee waiver so that's not even a concern. The concern is the ignorance and blaming people are doing when there is more often than not very valid reasons for people not to have come home earlier. 

Some people may not have had any reason to come 'home' and have had their hand forced by employment ending (and losing residency as a side effect) or the difficulty of winding up their obligations (housing, financial etc.) wherever they are.

I imagine quite a few returnees in the second half of the year will be in this category.

Absolutely. The longer this goes on for the more people will be traveling not because they want to but because circumstances Outside their control require it.

Tremere - you are absolutely right. I am in that boat -was planning on coming home prior to global lockdown. Winding up obligations (selling house, car etc etc) takes time and because of the shutdown where I am, that was not particularly realistic nor financially sound to attempt. Having just lost my job (2 days ago) I'm starting to figure out next steps with the hope I'll be able to make it back before the end of the year.

Benmay,

To be fair, international borders closed all around the world and some people were not able to get out, despite every effort made. Consider that.

James

I didn't leave my residence country if USA during the worst as being high risk category travel was too daunting.

With my 95 year old mum in aged care in Melbourne I was desperate to come back to see her. Especially after another close friend's mum passed away in Sydney... and she couldn't return.

When I finally came in May I had my quarantine. With mediocre food and prison like feeling. No fresh air. Two 15 minute walks outside supervised.

It was incredibly hard. So much harder than imagined. All to spend a precious 4 weeks with my mum before returning to work and partner in US.

In October I'll be doing it again. And having a heart operation. I don't mind paying... however , conditions offered need to be risen so much to warrant paying. It's fine I'm outside looking in but it was pretty darn tough in there.

You know.... flights are hard to get, many are stuck... work issues... feeling safe to fly... there are many variables.

I have to look return for a heart op in October... so I can't have flown yet... I'm waiting

@benmay

Don't assume for a moment the Australians living overseas are ignoring or have ignored recommendations to return home. If you might remember a few months ago (think outside of your own little world for a moment) airlines, borders and restrictions globally literally grounded aviation in few days. There was no way to get home. I have no issue paying but for Australian citizens only (no residents) the hotel charges should be tax deductible, or at least a portion of it.

Grow up and stop assuming Australians overseas have taken their sweet ass time to get home, I got example live in Spain and am returning home in a week. I've not stayed I Spain because I have enjoyed one of the works most strictest lockdowns, I simply have had no way to get home. Simple!

Agree 💯. If they want to force us to do something that they could easily instead do a COVID test and within 3 days we be released then THEY should be paying for it!

Absolutely wrong. We are all citizens of this country and have every right to enter and this serves as a deterrent. You are not familiar with personal circumstances of those who have not come back. That said it should be completely their choice!

If the government wants to enforce quarantine, they pay...I find it ironic we don't charge people in jail for their costs yet law abiding citizens we do when entering their home country and to do the right thing..

Everybody has different circumstances. Perhaps the people only returning now couldn't possibly return sooner, and maybe never planned to - jobs, kids in schools, caring for relatives, visa restrictions.... Back in March, nobody knew we'd be where we are today. Three months later, it has hit their industry, they've lost their job and visa, and must return. Then get whacked with this hotel bill. Terrible call. This is exactly what the Aus Govt has done to people. You lose you job and you're a temp visa holder? Tough luck, see you later. Govt loves giving these visas in the thousands to do the 'dirty' work much needed by industry, then leaves them high and dry.

I agree with all of you. Although my reply is coming late, the circumstances haven't changed much in this time, so what I am saying now is as relevant as it was 6, 9 or 10 months ago.

Even now, there are Aussies stuck abroad who can't come home. Others who wish they could (like me) but can't uproot our lives to make it happen that quickly. I will eventually move back to Australia, but right now I can't just get up and go. I need to save money to purchase a property - I refuse to move back to Aus in a haste, to a lower quality of life than I'm enjoying now. It wouldn't be fair to my wife or children to make such a rushed move and thus have to downsize. Also, quitting her job (I'm more flexible as I'm self employed) would mean we'd lose that income. Much better to make the move when we're more ready, which is likely to be in a couple of years from now.

I have young children - I can't imagine how I'd get them onto a plane (they've never flown before) and I'm sure they won't wear a mask. They've never worn one in their life and a two or three year old just won't wear one for a 9 hour flight (actually, it's probably 12 hours once you factor in the time spent in the airport before departure and after arrival, which requires a mask to be worn as well).

As you probably know, children as young as 18 months have been kicked off flights in countries such as the USA, for not wearing masks even though the law requires masks for those aged above 2 only. In Australia, it only applies to children aged 12 and above (for domestic flights). Not sure about international flights but pretty sure airlines flying into/out of Australia apply whatever their policies are and not the much more reasonable Australian government policy.

Then you have 14 days stuck in a small hotel room with no fresh air. As someone else commented, what about special needs children such as those with autism? Governments have this "one size fits all" policy and particularly in Asian countries, which are among the most authoritarian in the world, it's unlikely they would accommodate autistic children who can't wear masks on flights. This means such families are stuck abroad until the mask laws are lifted, which could be another year or two from now.

Then there's the financial burden of the quarantine itself, which is a slap in the face to returning Aussies, who must then somehow pay for this (even if they can pay later, it means extra debt).

Incorrect. 

The advice from DFAT was for travellers to return home. Aussies who had jobs, homes and access to health care were advised to stay. 

I think that's actually very unfair. Some people have whole lives to pack up before they can just get on a plane and return home. Some have young children (with special needs) in school, jobs to wind down, houses to give notice on etc... not to mention the fact that the ability to simply jump on a plane and get back has been nigh on impossible with all the cancellations and quotas on incoming Australians. This government has chosen to impose this style of quarantine on returning citizens. I'd be more than happy to go home if the government would let me. If it doesn't want to allow me to do that and trust that I will do it responsibly, then it should foot the bill. I'm sorry that there's a couple of idiots who broke the quarantine in Melbourne (just like I'm sorry that there are drunk drivers who act irresponsibly and cost people lives) but that is not me and if you can't trust people to do the right thing then what sort of society do you have? We don't take away everyone's driver's licence because some people break the rules. I booked my tickets home for Christmas back in February. Under the current rules my two young children would spend Christmas in a quarantine hotel. I could not even guarantee them fresh air or an open window. One has adhd and both have had a very difficult year in London. If the government insists on this policy then it should be humane and compassionate. And you should think before you mouth off on something you have no experience of. It's just mean.

Many people returning are residents of overseas country coming home to check on aging parents or sick relatives. ( not Covid)

The Australian Border Force and DHHS both told me that there were many in this category. Me included.

You're assuming the people who "went overseas" are on holidays. There are over 1 million Australian expats living around the world. We were overseas when this whole thing started and it would have been irresponsible for many of us to travel as the peaks were ramping up where we were. Not to mention, when you have a job, a home and family in your host country, it isn't all that easy to jump on a plane. $4,000 isn't a sacrifice, it's robbery quite frankly when there are many other viable options that would not place such a heavy burden on families who are more than likely returning home because they have run out of options. I for one have lost my job as a result of COVID, isn't that enough of a "cost to bare" already?

If all airlines and governments request mandatory testing before passenger board flight and not on arrival everyone can travel safe.

Mandatory testing doesn't get pre-symptomatic that is why NZ has testing day 3 and 12 of 14 day quarantine and Greece day 1 and day 6 after one week quarantine. Most doctors/hospitals require two negative tests a couple of day apart, and even then. cases still pop up or re-emerge.

Australia is days 3 and 111

I'm happy to pay too if it means I can leave and return but unfortunately the exemption criteria remains unchanged and if I am to go I need to travel ASAP. I guess I may put in another exemption request. I have nothing to lose.

They may not like getting another request but if they had said yes to the first one I wouldn't have needed to consider making another request.

Agree - good luck finding accomodation pre-COVID for $135 per night at most average and above places. Whilst $65 per day seems about right for inflated Room Service food

That's more then I normally pay for hotels when traveling.

$910 for 2 weeks of food?

Provided there is a fridge and microwave in the room, I could source 2 weeks of food for ~$140.

I can't even remember the last time I even had 3 meals in a single day.

I only eat lunch when traveling/on holiday. I only eat breakfast on work days. ie. I normally have 12 meals/week.

12 meals cost you $140. Sounds high.

@Himeno $910 for 2 weeks of food in a hotel is about right, they normally charge about $35 just for breakfast

Thanks! I guess I'm supposed to be thankful and feel welcomed.

I don't actually want to return to Australia where I will be an additional burden. I will be unemployed and I don't have anywhere to live. I am being forced to Australia because I am an Australian citizen, my work permit expires at the end of July and I am only allowed to return to my country of nationality. I am not permitted to repatriate to my next country of employment. I am unable to sell my household goods or vehicles and will lose in access of $20,000 as a result. Add in excess of $10,000 to get back to Australia and then the cost of quarantine and should feel grateful. For the five years I've lived and worked OS, I have continued to pay annual taxes in Australia.

The Australian government will not allow me to leave Australia once I've completed the quarantine period. There is a ban on all travel in and out of the country except for repatriating nationals. Working and living overseas is not one of the exemptions permitted.

Please don't make generalised comments that are ill-informed about the situation of individuals you know nothing about. The situation is not as straight forward as many comments imply.

No microwave. Just electric kettle. No crockery no cutlery

Resident of overseas country can leave

I just did. As long as you have spent more time out of Australia than in over a five year period. Your passport proves this

@ Ted Striker

“Surely you can't be serious!”

The quarantine works better when rules are enforced at the time rather than punishment applied in retrospect

The antics of what some people under mandatory quarantine in hotels still managed to do, shows how little regard enough people have with doing the right thing even when they know police are posted at the hotel.

Far more people will be tempted to break quarantine at home as shown when the quarantine was allowed to be at home.

It works better in HK where the tech is better for tracking (associated with a densely populated city) and a population with different character (sort of).

And I suspect by the time the transgressors get to the courts, memories will fade and magistrates more forgiving and the punishment given will be nothing close to be a deterrent.

I am serious and will promise not to call you Shirley again

Ted we are really talking NZ as similarly safe. The others like us all have their moments, and with higher incidence rates, or you have to go through countries with higher rates.

This. Much better solution than charging people exorbitantly high prices to be stuck in a cell for 2 weeks.

Ted this doesn't account for visitors and I think it should be an irremovable bracelet as people Have been known to ‘forget' their phones.

My point exactly.

You won't have to pay if your flight is booked pre 23:59 tonight though.

My condolences for your loss.

Vantage false negatives (also on antibody tests) is as high as one third hence the need for two tests. False positives also occur but it is the false negatives which are the very big problem.

Vantage also ver many countries require exit permits even when not under national emergency legislation.

This is the great irony of "test and trace". Unless you test the same person over and over again, it doesn't stop community transmission. This is part of the problem with the USA, where the testing rate is as high as Australia's. I get tested, it's negative, I go out...and then I don't get tested again until I'm forced / able / remember.

That's not a solution to ending transmission anywhere if the horse has already bolted.

Canada has similar rules on outbound travel. The UN may have its work cut out.

@patrickk incorrect. Canada merely "advises against non-essential international travel." NZ does not have a ban on departures due to their Bill of Rights specifically allowing a right to leave the country, something Australia does not have. Australia stands alone, and the longer this ban continues the more attention this will receive as a human rights violation. Source: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

Hewnix lots of countries require exit visas, and there are comprehensive lists readily available (see Intelyse) and this included the Schengen (Europe) area for a time. Given the large number of countries involved the human rights council will have its work cut out.

@patrickk as it happens I researched every OECD country's travel restrictions and none of them have a ban on departing the country. Australia stands alone. Countries with exit visa requirements are Saudi, Qatar, etc. These are grave human rights abusers and NOT our models. The exemption process is fully discretionary with no accountability, transparency, nor right of review. I researched it extensively and the right to leave one's country is a fundamental human right and personal liberty which has developed over centuries. In fact it was one of the primary complaints made during the French Revolution. Personally I have no intention of going overseas and appreciate the travel ban was a quick solution during a volatile situation but we are now four months into it with no indication that a solution to end the ban is being developed. Australia can quarantine arrivals and charge if they want but the logistics must not be used to deprive us of a fundamental human right. We are a nation of migrants and people have family overseas. If my parents were to fall gravely ill the decision to leave Australia should not be left up to a bureaucrat behind a web form.

@patrickk further, important to note that NZ and Canada both have a right to depart the country enshrined in their Bill of Rights / Charter of Rights. Australia does not even have any sort of bill or charter of rights.

States of emergency have been known to override these rights, and may include health orders. Looking forward to see how it pans out in court. Anyway most places are closed except for those where the health risk is very if not too high. Countries also have an obligation to help and protect their citizens, sometimes from themselves and their silly choices.

Incorrect. Canada has an advisory but not a prohibition.

https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

Search : Covid-19 (Novel coronavirus) request to travel form

you should get the home affairs website

you can see the exemption criteria which includes unavoidable personal buisness and humanitarian grounds.

@ Jason526

I suspect many 5-star hotel will be planning to get out of their contract with state government as some are saying the cost-renumeration for having the entire hotel under quarantine rules (can't do it partially) is no better than low occupancy rate with higher rates. The quarantine business was to keep things going. Now that the borders are opening for some states, the better hotels rather take a risk with local travellers paying their way (and casual employees will be rostered according to occupancy rates) rather than block off their entire business at $200 max pp daily.

Jason food delivery is allowed at least according to most personal experiences reported.

As someone who has been heavily involved in this process as part of my job, I can confirm that complaints of hotels refusing to accept any kind of delivery for quarantined travellers, including food are relatively common. Other common issues have been hotels refusing to launder clothes for the 14 days, refusing to offer changes of bed linen, delivering cold food, delivering meat based meals to vegetarians, providing inappropriate meals for young children and providing rooms without opening windows or access to fresh air. Another common issue has been hotels charging their usual rate for access to wifi, with some billing $40 a day for access.

They are far from the holiday camps which some would seem to believe, and I can't help believing that the mental health consequences for many of these people will be worse than the disease. Very few are uninformed travellers. The majority that I have encountered have been unable to return to Australia due to transport issues. Many have also returned to either comfort a sick or dying relative, due to a death in the family or because they want to be with their family or children, which I personally think is a perfectly reasonable aspiration.

You are absolutely right.

My husband was quarantined in Melbourne without too much drama, but as a Type 1 diabetic, it is very important for him to have access to exercise and fresh air, as well as whole food that isnt full of refined carbs and sugar. Fortunately he had a decent sized room to move about in. He managed most of the food issues (thanks to some preparation before leaving the UK), but when flying onto Hobart afterwards, he was forced to quarantine again - and this time it was the absolute pits. No idea of social distancing (literally “yeah all just gather there at the front of the bus willya?”) and the dinner options were fish and chips, or chicken and chips. As he is vegetarian, his option was chips. The windows opened a few inches only and the room was full of mouldy stench from the fact that the fridge had been defrosted onto the carpet. In the end, a government doctor took pity on him and allowed him home after the first week but the point remains.

The ignorance of some of the comments here - when this all happened, the advice was to “return or prepare for a long stay”. Many of us chose to stay put overseas to wait out the lockdown, rather than fly at the height of it. But we eventually have to return home as we are outstaying our welcome in other countries. Now people act as though we have been jetting around the world and want to waltz into Oz on a taxpayer funded free holiday. It's not that way at all.

James a good idea but Australians have failed self isolating very badly so the 7 days would have to be somewhere secure and if tested positive then 14 days quarantine after a second negative test much like NZ.

I think you will find have people will be required to follow a health order and that may and most probably will be 14 day quarantine in a hotel. Not sure being asked to follow a health order is 'being tricked'. They do not need to consent but then they could be arrested or more likely out on the flight back to where thay came from, for not following a legitimate health order. Like to see someone try to test the order.

it's a Commonwealth order and it was in fact renewed in time for another 90 days in June.

I am happy to quarantine in my own home if need be, but to be forced into this, and then on top of this have to pay this crazy amount is completely unjust! How do we go about refusing to accept once we arrive at the airport? Is that even possible?

Quarantining at home would work fine if you were in a detached house and isolated yourself properly with no visitors. However a small but not insignificant proportion of returning travellers broke the rules and as a consequence the government has had to quarantine everyone in hotels rather than trusting people to act responsibly. Putting a policeman outside your front door 24/7 for 2 weeks would cost a lot more than quarantine and use up valuable resources.

If you can prove you booked before the deadline then you won't need to pay. If you are broke, on a low income and paying this would cause significant hardship then you might be able to get a payment arrangement or in extreme cases perhaps even get it waived.

Some have suggested that they will have mechanisms to force people to pay up e.g. banning departure from the country until the bill is paid.

Just say upon arrival that you don't have the funds to pay for it. Nothing they can do. They will either give you a hardship exception or they will give you a fine or some sort of debt. Remains to be seen. I strongly advise you to challenge any fine or debt in court. This is all quite legally dubious and judges don't like these sorts of things in Australia generally.

Gorobin they have to be allowed entry to the country to follow the order. If a condition of that entry is signing a document agreeing to hotel quarantine then a specific State health order may not be required it may be enough to come under the federal legislation and as evidence has shows with quarantined people testing positive this may well be one such case.

Gorobin the federal government bio security act comes into play here so even if the NSW had no such orders the federal government Act would be enforced and do note that most cases except for Victoria are from quarantine, so not sure what you are wishing on us.

hvanney they wont let You leave Australia till you pay your bill

These are state debts, the borders are federal...

Theses are state debts, not federal.

The ATO has no authority over state debts.

If there is something in it for them they may. My point is that government has many ways of collecting outstanding debts.

Each state also has their contracted debt collectors used for situations like quarantine.

Which is limited to recovery action in that state.

If you quarantine in one state and move to another, they have to use that states civil systems to chase the debt. Not saying they won't but it adds a nice layer of complexity to the issue.

You are quite right.

Very true and many forget!

You thought Tall Poppy Syndrome disappeared in Australia? That's all this is. Hatred for people who aspired to something and went overseas in pursuit of ambition.

The only reasonable position is to charge only for people who are not citizens (i.e. spouses without visas), people who departed Australia during the pandemic, and perhaps anyone who was never ordinarily resident in Australia pre-COVID at any time -- for example, someone who just received PR or acquired citizenship by descent overseas.

I just can't see how a government policy to bill incoming Travellers in any shape or form can be described as hatred. Everyone has a view, for or against and should be allowed to express their view. Personally I think incoming Travellers should pay, rather than slugging the taxpayer and I just can't fathom what the big deal with this is. I don't think it justified to claim the cash just because you work overseas. There has to be a buyer beware approach here. Goodnight.

Exactly. All these Aussies showing absolutely no compassion towards others. I have lived overseas 13 years. Was put into lockdown before Australia made a call to come home. I live in Madrid, where there were massive outbreaks and we were locked down from 11th of March. Would it have been a responsible thing for me to travel home to my family at that point? I don't think so. I've lost my job now, who knows how long I can support myself here. Spain's job market is difficult at the best of times, not to mention for a foreigner in the middle of an economic crisis. All these people thinking we're run off on some extended holiday rather than having lived and worked overseas.

If you haven't been trying to get home as yet then you chose to stay overseas against government advice.

Whilst its understandable if working overseas and finding a job at home in most fields would be difficult at the moment, it is still a choice to remain overseas.

If everyone could be trusted to do the right thing then quarantining at home would work. Unfortunately a small, but not insignificant proportion of returning travellers broke the rules so the government decided that hotel quarantine was the solution.

Another comment from someone who has no clue and is content to accept whatever propaganda they're fed by the media and government.

Many have not been able to return to Australia for many reasons, as has been outlined in previous comments on this thread.

Just as Victorians are currently under lockdown, so were many other parts of the world. I was locked down for 13 weeks in a compound in Bangalore. Unable to leave my premises except to collect food ordered online at the security gate. Some evac flights were going, from Delhi to Aust. But how do you get there when you cant even leave your home and state borders are closed? Thats like trying to get from Melb to Bris in the current circumstances. In addition, our employer would not allow us to leave without penalty for breaking contract.

You re correct in identifying the problem originating here in Australia. If people had followed guidlines and rules, if governments had enforced strict adherance, without exceptions, we would not have the current problem with quaratine and expenses. So dont blame those from overseas still trying to get back. Take a swipe at those who set up the system and those who refuse to follow the rukes.

The option of "choosing" to stay overseas disappears when borders and airports close, as has been the case in so many countries. Changing self isolation to quarantine because a small proportion broke the rules. joins the list of the majority being penalised by actions of the minority.

Weather they tried quarantine at home and 15% didn't do so hence the outbreak from the Ruby Princess and others. Not sure what the solution is. Tracking bracelets could work but would people accept them and also ‘promise' not to have visitors. Perhaps random checks with police custody for not complying. It is whether we would prefer that or $3k. Perhaps provide an option.

Entirely fair. Why do you want the taxpayer to pay, it is accommodation and meals for you. It happens to be a regulation so my guess is at the next election vote out those who prescribed it. Just don't whine about it. It's a fact.

Aggie exactly. Well put

Read the article again.....

Rotate I fully agree but at least the protests were outside and people mostly wore masks. At the same time there were football matches with poorly enforced social distancing and no masks, and don't get me started on noisy crowded in door venues such as clubs and casinos who seem to be very much above the law (a $5000 fine for Star, that would be about 10seconds of turnover). I walked down George street last week crowded bars no signing in etc. The hotel asked patrons to wear masks at the front desk. Apart from us nobody did. By the way rotate the protests have received quite a bit of comment not least from our government. Jus sayin.

Info regarding quarantine from people who have experienced it can e found in these facebook groups which you can join- Hotel quarantine australia & australians in quarantine facilities

Yes you're 

💯

Even prisoners get at least 1hr of fresh air and exercise outdoors... 

I asked them if I could exercise on the hotel staircases and the answer was no. 

Im also very allergic to dust and suffer from bronchitis and ashtma, the room had carpets and they wouldnt even supply a vacuum cleaner, they said I had to buy one... What a joke!  A tiny window for fresh air...

I felt like I couldn't breathe anymore towards the end of the 2 weeks and they kept calling everyday to see if I was ok and if I was having any symptoms of covid such as short breath. I felt like telling them that what will kill me from short breath won't be the virus but all the dust in the room! 

My nostrils were extremely dry and my chest heavy and I knew it wasn't from corona but all the dust and lack of fresh air and sunlight! 

GoRobin, the NSW government charges us who live here for all sorts of stuff without specific legislation. I wait with bated breath for the legal opinion, and successful cases you will soon provide. At least my headlines can be sourced to a report. Can you provide your sources. 

As someone who received and paid the $3k invoice I have no intention of trying to claim a refund. I was out of the country for almost a decade and have zero  issue paying for quarantine as I have not paid taxes here for a number of years and I do not expect my fellow citizens to pay for me. 

Was the food awful during my 14 days incarceration ? Yes it was. Did I get fresh air? Nope. However, the whole process in Sydney was so well organised from moment plane door opened to when hotel room door closed ... I cannot complain. The freedoms we now live with in Australia compared to the rest of the world are amazing and I am simply happy to be home. Quarantine is just something one has to deal with in order to live in such a (relatively) care free manner. 

@lafleche, the short-term mask wearing mandates, state border restrictions (now mostly lifted) and the fact Aussies are banned from leaving the country without seeking permission aside, Australia's response to Covid has upheld civil liberties much better than most other countries in the world. Of course that's a relative statement, since many long standing liberties and freedoms have been infringed upon since March 2020, but compared with the rest of the world, Australia is just about the best place to be during this crisis. The one exception being Melbourne last year.

Australia has been known as a "nanny state" for many years, but surprisingly, other than in Melbourne (and later the rest of Victoria), which endured one of the world's harshest lockdowns including strict mandatory masking for 4 months last year, Australia's quarantine has been much less strict than most other countries. The USA, often cited as the "poster child" for upholding freedoms, has, depending on the state, imposed far greater restrictions than Australia as a whole and these mostly remain in force today. Even in states where mask mandates have been lifted, a myriad of federal and local laws, as well as decisions made by private businesses mean that masks still need to be worn in many settings in such states. For instance, in Texas, masks must still be worn on all public transport, federal buildings, schools and universities, hospitals generally speaking as well and many retailers. Some counties/cities also have their own ordinances they continue to apply.

Australia, along with New Zealand were the last countries in the world to impose mask mandates on board domestic flights.

I think it's good to look into what GoRobin has stated - this could be very useful for a lot of recent returnees.

The 14 day quarantine imposed on incoming arrivals (other than NZ) is another factor deterring many people from returning. This applies to myself as well. I won't be making any trip back home until the quarantine has been lifted. Even if it means waiting 12 or 24 more months from now.

Matilda, you're quite right. As I've stated, this is all about "relatively speaking" because civil liberties have been trampled upon everywhere on Earth, in ways unimaginable before March 2020. This of course includes Australia. It might almost be pointless talking up civil liberties, when nowhere on Earth do they still appear to be intact the way they more or less were pre-Covid.

And I did try to list the exceptions to that rule, acknowledging that greater Melbourne did in fact undergo one of the strictest mask mandates and lockdowns on Earth. Are all mask mandates now lifted in greater Melbourne and Victoria? Last I heard, they were still required to enter malls/shopping centres and on public transport, but rarely anywhere else.

Just that in Asia, things seem very authoritarian at the moment and I'm super jealous of Australians being allowed to walk around and enter public places without masks on. Of course it's not as black and white as that - the Queensland mask mandate still applies in some settings (I hear today is the day a decision is to be made as to whether to extend it or not) and even one or two cases could bring it back anywhere in the country. In Asia, away from tightly controlled settings in downtown areas of large cities, not everyone is wearing a mask and hardly anyone uses the tracing app anymore. After all, if it's not policed, people are simply going to do what feels most comfortable to them.

The hotel quarantine is very strict in China, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and many other countries in the region too. Out of these, only Thailand has stated it will start allowing more activities and freedom for those being held in quarantine and of course they recently reduced the quarantine period down to 10 days and 11 nights from the previous 14 days/15 nights for arrivals from all countries except around 11 African countries (this list is periodically updated). 

Yes, I'm staying put for now - but I am concerned that if things continue to escalate, this may not be the country for me in the long-term. On the other hand, as I've mentioned, returning to Australia right now is a no go. A huge financial burden, lack of preparedness, need to quit jobs, sell vehicles and find temporary housing when we get back, definitely not the time to be considering such a move.

I can only hope that in a year from now, or 18-24 months, things will be looking a lot more normal.