Overseas arrival’s night on town after ‘deliberate’ breach of medi-hotel quarantine
A man who recently returned from overseas left his Hindley Street medi-hotel and spent about eight hours in the community overnight, in what SA Police described as a “deliberate” breach of hotel quarantine.
In a statement late this morning, SA Police said the man, who arrived in Adelaide from overseas last Tuesday, left the Grand Chancellor medi-hotel on Hindley Street just after 10pm last night and spent about eight hours in the Adelaide CBD.
He voluntarily returned to the hotel at about 6am this morning.
Police said he “deliberately breached hotel security and subsequently spent a number of hours in the community”.
They said the man had not tested positive for COVID-19 on days one, five and nine of his quarantine stay and there was no known risk to the community.
He was tested again this morning and returned a negative result.
Police did not say where the man visited or whether he came in contact with members of the public.
State emergency coordinator and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said he had appointed a senior officer to investigate the security breach, with the outcome of that investigation to be provided once it is completed in the coming days.
“It is disappointing that despite our robust security arrangements for our medi-hotels, this breach of security occurred,” he said.
“Action against this man regarding the breach of quarantine conditions will be addressed as a part of the investigation.
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“I would like to reiterate that there is no known risk to the community, and South Australians should not be alarmed.”
Stevens said about 22,000 people had quarantined in South Australian medi-hotels since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and last night’s incident was “the first time we have seen such a breach”.
“We will continue to work to maintain the high standard of security in our medi-hotels and will implement any identified changes to restrict future similar breaches of security,” he said.
South Australia has previously reported that international arrivals have tested positive for COVID-19 as late as day 13 of their medi-hotel quarantine stays.
