A woman is facing criminal charges after kicking down a door to break out of hotel quarantine in far north Queensland.
Police Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski says the 22-year-old, who was missing for 24 hours before staff noticed, is the first person to escape hotel quarantine in Cairns.
He says the Cairns resident started quarantine at the Cairns Pacific International Hotel on Thursday but she was found to be missing on Monday afternoon.
Mr Gollschewski says CCTV footage shows the Sydneysider scaled two balconies and used an outdoor staircase before breaking down a door to the outside.
“She has kicked it in, so fairly motivated,” he told reporters.
The deputy commissioner said the woman was later found at her mother’s home in the suburbs of Cairns on Monday afternoon.
The woman was cooperative when arrested and is currently being held in the Cairns watch house, he said.
Mr Gollschewski said she told police that she had broken out of quarantine because she wanted to go home to her mother.
“So look … quarantine can be very difficult for some people, particularly if they’re by themselves, we understand that,” he said.
“Nonetheless, it is a very strict control and the whole point of quarantine whether it’s home or hotel quarantine is not to mix with the community, and this person in order to get out has committed some other offences, unfortunately.”
The woman initially tested negative for COVID-19 when she entered quarantine, but the results of her second test are not yet known.
Mr Gollschewski said police had also conducted 1200 random checks on the 5177 people in the state currently in home quarantine with most people complying.
“By and large the compliance has been very good – it is a reminder for people in home quarantine that you are not permitted to leave unless there is very, very few specific reasons,” he said.
Meanwhile, officers handed out 116 face masks in the 24 hours to 10am on Tuesday and issued two fines to people who refused to wear them.
About 2385 vehicles had been intercepted by police on the road borders with three turned back, while 1450 domestic air passengers had arrived in the state with 14 being placed in hotel quarantine.
AAP
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