Woman scales balcony to escape Cairns hotel quarantine

COVID-19

Karlie Brady

Journalist

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A woman was arrested after escaping hotel quarantine in Cairns. Image: Pacific Hotel Cairns.

A woman has been charged after scaling a fourth-storey balcony and kicking down a door to escape hotel quarantine in Cairns.

The 32-year-old woman was quarantining in the Cairns Pacific International Hotel after arriving from Sydney earlier this month.

Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said police are currently investigating the breach of hotel quarantine.

"A 32-year-old female who had come from Sydney on 1 July, placed in hotel quarantine in Cairns, was found to be missing yesterday.

He said police reviewed CCTV footage to work out how she fled the hotel.

“It appears this person has scaled two balconies, gone down an outside staircase, then has damaged a door to escape," he said.

"We believe she has kicked it (the door) in, so she was fairly motivated.

"Upon being discovered, police have conducted inquiries and that person was located last night in Cairns," Deputy Commissioner Gollschewski said.

The woman was located by police at her mother’s house in Cairns and was taken into custody at the Cairns City Watchhouse.

"She wanted to go home to her mother. Quarantine can be very difficult for some people, particularly if they are by themselves, we understand that, but non the less the point of hotel quarantine is not to mix with the community.

“(She’s) facing a number of charges, including criminal charges.”

Later on Tuesday, the woman appeared in the Cairns Magistrates Court on charges of contravening public health directions, unregulated high-risk activity and wilful damage.

She was fined $2,500 and convictions were recorded on all three charges.

The woman had previously returned a negative COVID-19 test, and authorities are awaiting the outcome of a second.

Queensland Health doesn’t believe the woman’s escape has caused any heightened risk to the Far North community.

It comes less than three weeks after a Victorian man fell from his balcony at the same hotel while allegedly trying to escape COVID-19 quarantine.

He was hospitalised with minor injuries.

Far North Acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Hodgman described the escapes as “dangerous (and) foolhardy”.

“This is the second time in a couple of weeks where people have put their lives at risk to come out of the Pacific Hotel.

“For two persons to have done it is insurmountable, it beggars belief,” he said.



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