A man was caught escaping hotel quarantine by tying his bedsheets to form a rope which he then used to climb out of his fourth-floor window, police have said.
The man, whose identity hasn't been disclosed but who was confirmed as Covid-negative, arrived in the Australian city of Perth and was told he could not enter the state due to its strict regulations to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The escapee, who on an interstate flight from Brisbane, was told to leave the state within 48 hours and taken to a hotel for temporary quarantine.
But just before 1am on Tuesday (17:00 GMT on Monday) "he climbed out a window of the fourth floor room using a rope made of bed sheets and fled the area", Western Australia Police said in a Facebook post.
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They also posted photos the makeshift rope hanging from a window on the brick building's top floor down to the street.
Police arrested the man across town about eight hours later, and charged him with failing to comply with a direction and providing "false/misleading information".
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They did not disclose the man's identity except to say that he was aged 39 and tested negative to the virus, nor did they give a reason for his alleged actions.
Australia has recorded far fewer coronavirus cases and deaths than many other developed countries partly because it closed national and internal borders and imposed mandatory hotel quarantine for anyone arriving from abroad or - during outbreaks
- another state.
The policy has however brought with it a series of escapes, including a woman accused this month of climbing down two balconies and kicking in a door to evade quarantine in north-east regional hub of Cairns.
