Quarantined travellers to be allowed out of hotels for ‘WELLNESS WALKS’

Returning travellers in Queensland will now be able to enjoy ‘wellness walks’ after a human rights chief appealed for those isolating to be allowed fresh air for their mental health.

The controversial move is despite Victoria’s horror outbreak, with 607 people in hospital, beginning after COVID-19 leaked out of a bungled hotel quarantine system.

Queensland Health has given the green light for those quarantining to enjoy outdoor breaks in the hotels’ grounds. 

The move was sparked by Queensland’s human rights commissioner Scott McDougall, who demanded the walks despite the ‘obvious health risks’ to the community.

He says those in mandatory 14-day isolation from overseas or Australian coronavirus hot spots should be given at least the same amount of fresh air and exercise as prisoners.

Queensland Human Rights Commissioner Scott McDougall has demanded quarantine travellers get ‘wellness walks’, despite the ‘obvious health risks’ to the community 

Mr McDougall’s calls come as Victoria is in the midst of a state-wide lockdown following a surge of cases linked to their bungled hotel quarantine program, which enabled the virus to spread.

‘It’s important that individuals are able to have access to fresh air and breaks to maintain proper standards of treatment, because they are effectively being deprived of their liberty,’ Mr McDougall told The Courier-Mail.

‘We recognise there are obvious health risks. Obviously given what happened in Victoria, the breaks need to be managed really carefully.

‘No one is released from their hotel room for a wellness break if they’ve tested positive.’

On Mr McDougall’s request, Queensland Health have now sought out hotels with balconies and windows so quarantine travellers can get some fresh air.

They will also be allowed to exercise during a walk in the hotel grounds. 

He has also warned Queensland Police to avoid handing out $1,334 social distancing fines to people that can’t afford to pay the penalty.

The AHRC Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar also agrees the fines disproportionately impact the most vulnerable in society.

The calls come as Victoria is in the midst of a lockdown after a surge of cases linked to the quarantine program (pictured, a woman in Melbourne is seen walking in a face mask)

Travellers are seen arriving for the 14-day quarantine at Perth Airport (pictured), with Australia running the mandatory hotel isolation since March

Mr Oscar said inability to pay fines has in the past led to the incarceration of Indigenous people and in the worst cases, has been associated with deaths in custody.

According to a spokesman from Queensland Health, there are some circumstances where quarantine travellers can be let out of their rooms.

However in these cases they must remain in the hotel grounds.

‘Leaving the hotel’s property to take a walk is not considered a valid reason as it poses too great a risk to the general public,’ the spokesman said.

Australia has required returning travellers to quarantine for two weeks since March 28, a program credited in helping the country keep coronavirus numbers low.

But Melbourne’s breakout, which resulted in a city-wide Stage 4 lockdown – including a nighttime curfew – is understood to have begun when leaks appeared in the hotel quarantine system.

An inquiry has been launched into what went wrong in the bungled quarantine system, but this has been delayed by six weeks due to the second wave of infections. 

An officer is seen watching on as quarantine travellers are taken to a hotel in Brisbane (pictured)