Informit article: ‘Not the Hilton’

The Australian government has had significant success in stemming the spread of COVID-19. Aside from lockdowns of schools and many businesses, border closures, and limits on movement within the community, it introduced quarantine measures for returned travellers that initially helped to stem the spread of the virus. In late March 2020 it announced that all those arriving at Australian airports and docks from overseas should self-isolate for fourteen days. As evidence emerged of returned travellers breaching these restrictions, state governments, at times supported by the Australian Border Force, imposed compulsory quarantining for fourteen days in nominated hotels in several of Australia’s capital cities. Although many people accepted this move, and some happily resigned themselves to the situation, there were also numerous complaints. Those with mental-health concerns, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxieties, experienced adverse impacts. Many expressed profound relief on their ‘release’.