April 2, 2020
No fresh air, no exercise, no access to mental health professionals - concerns about conditions for citizens held in enforced quarantine in Sydney
NSWCCL is greatly concerned about the experiences and conditions of those in enforced quarantine in NSW. The Council advocates for measures that, at the very least, maintain individuals access to daily fresh air for a certain period per day, and the ability to exercise.
The Council acknowledges the importance of containment and understands the necessity to quarantine Australians returning from overseas. However, those in quarantine should have access to fresh air, exercise and mental health professionals. The conditions of quarantine should be compassionate and respectful rather than arbitrary.
NSWCCL has been contacted by a Victorian resident Stephen, and his wife, who are being held in quarantine in a Sydney Hotel. The couple recently returned from Peru (31st March), where they had already been held in lockdown there for 14 days after the Peru government imposed a state of emergency on 16 March.
Stephen contacted NSWCCL for assistance in ‘advocating for all those others in enforced quarantine in Sydney to ensure that our basic human rights and civil liberties are not being infringed in such an arbitrary and inhumane way.’
Stephen goes on to add, “I am not disputing the government’s right to force us into quarantine. What I am disputing is the conditions they have imposed on us. We are not convicted criminals, we just had the misfortune to be overseas at the time the world went into crisis.”
Stephen informed the NSWCCL about the conditions under which they were being quarantined;
- We are literally locked in our room for 24 hours per day. We do not even have a key for our room.
- Police and army patrol our floor to ensure our compliance.
- We have no access to fresh air. We are in a room on the 26th floor with no window that can be opened.
- We have no ability to exercise.
- We are being denied access to alcohol.
- I have my wife with me, but many people are on their own – they are essentially in solitary confinement.
“There are no support services for us. Nobody is checking on us as regards are physical or mental wellbeing,” Stephen said.
“Yesterday one of our friends in Sydney bought us some fruit, muesli, milk, tea and a couple of 6 packs of beer. The police stopped her leaving the alcohol. Apparently those in quarantine are banned from having alcohol.”
The police quoted legislation in the NSW Government Gazette, Number 62, Saturday, 28 March 2020, apparently telling Stephen that the Police Commissioner has authority under clause 6(2) to determine what those in quarantine can/cannot eat and drink.
Today Stephen and his wife received a delivery of prescription medicine from a local pharmacist. The police opened and inspected the package before giving it to the recipients. Stephen said her felt this was ‘a gross breach of privacy and completely unwarranted – the package was clearly from a pharmacy and contained nothing but medicine’.
Stephen and his wife are seeking:
- Access every day to fresh air for a minimum 30 minutes
- Access to an area we can exercise in for a minimum of 30 minutes each day
- Access to moderate amounts of alcohol (which of course we pay for ourselves)
- Daily checks on our health and mental wellbeing.
“Surely this is not too much to ask for people who have committed no crimes and are otherwise complying with the draconian conditions imposed on us,” Stephen added.
NSW Council for Civil Liberties - email: [email protected]
