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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Daniella White

Where passengers will have to complete their quarantine in Canberra

Repatriation flight from Nepal arriving at Canberra Airport in June. Passengers leaving the airport to board busses to hotels. Picture: Elesa Kurtz

About 150 passengers arriving in the ACT from Europe and Asia on Thursday will complete their hotel quarantine at Pacific Suites Canberra.

The Singapore Airlines repatriation flight will arrive in Canberra on Thursday afternoon.

Passengers will be transported to their hotel quarantine on Northbourne Avenue by Australian Federal Police.

ACT Policing and Australian Defence Force staff will oversee the returning travellers at the Pacific Suites Canberra Hotel.

Health Minister Rachel-Stephen-Smith said the territory was well equipped to manage the returning travellers' quarantine period.

While it is the first international flight into the territory since June, the ACT has had a steady stream of Canberrans undertaking home and hotel quarantine.

Many of them are government officials returning from overseas travel.

"This is not the first rodeo for health protection officials who are doing this work," Ms Stephen-Smith said.

"Yes there are lessons to be learned from things that have led to transmission to the wider community in both South Australia and Victoria.

"One of those new lessons is being implemented in terms of surveillance testing of staff, police and ACT Health officials who will be working in the hotel during the quarantine hotel.

"There is no zero risk situation here, but there is also a real positive when you look at the tens of thousands of Australians who have returned to Australian through these hotel quarantine arrangements throughout the country."

Ms Stephen-Smith said the passengers hail from different parts of the country, and have primarily been living in parts of Europe and Asia.

A Pacific Suites Canberra spokeswoman said it was following with all health and safety procedures as advised by ACT Health.

It will reopen for bookings from December 21.

The passengers will be screened for symptoms before they get on the plane and when they disembark.

Anyone showing symptoms will be tested on arrival.

Ms Stephen-Smith said the government chose hotels which had kitchenettes balconies.

An ACT Policing spokeswoman said officers would maintain a 24-hour-a-day presence at the quarantine hotel, with direct on-site support from the defence force,

Police will be ensuring travellers are complying with ACT public health directions.

"ACT Policing members are experienced in COVID-19 safety procedures having assisted with both hotel and home quarantine arrangements since March," a spokesman said.

"In addition to a focus on quarantine compliance, police will also remain mindful of the welfare of those in quarantine recognising the challenges in isolating away from family and friends for the two week period."

The force has had a dedicated quarantine team managing the COVID-19 response.

"These members will not be deployed to other parts of the Canberra community throughout quarantine operations," the spokeswoman said.

Meanwhile the government is expected to announced more easing of restrictions on Thursday.

"[The chief health officer] is really hoping to be able to provide some certainty for some businesses in the community about what the roadmap to Christmas will look like," she said.


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