[COVID Travel] Brisbane/Australia Quarantine - 14 Days in Rydges Fortitude Valley - What You Need To Know
You will find a jackpot section at the end of the article which includes a comparison between Hong Kong Quarantine and Australia Quarantine. I also tipped on what to pack for a hotel quarantine.
Hope you will be better prepared and feel that quarantine is more tolerable after reading this!
Who arranges the quarantine?
By the government. You don't need to book your place in quarantine. You'll be allocated a place when you arrive in Australia.
You will go through all the paperwork and receive a quarantine order and a check-in form at a police counter after going through the baggage screening process at the airport. This will be an exciting moment because you are about to find out which hotel you are assigned to!
How much is the quarantine accommodation?
Standard fee set by the government - $3,220 for one person in one room and $4,130 for two people in one room. For more examples of charges refer to the below:
After completing the quarantine, an invoice will be issued by the government by email or mail. It can take a few months to receive that invoice. You have 30 days to pay from the invoice date. You can pay by instalment too.
How will I be monitored for COVID-19?
You will receive three nasal and throat swabs during the stay – occur on day 1 (check in test), day 5 (entry test) and day 12 (exit test). Test results will be sent to you via SMS.
You will also be contacted during quarantine by routine telephone call (either to your personal mobile/hotel room landline) to check if you have developed COVID symptoms – occur around day 3, day 8 and day 12.
How will I be monitored for leaving my room?
There are CCTV at the corridor which is monitored by the police 24/7. Once I didn’t wear a mask and opened the door to collect food. I received a call from the police to my hotel room landline warning me to comply with the rules and wear a mask…
Food
Three meals per day is included in the quarantine package. It’s $65 per adult person per day (stated on the quarantine order). Meals are predetermined - you won’t have the option to choose from a menu, but different set meals are rotated during the stay. You can state your dietary requirements at the beginning of the stay. You can also order takeaway at your own costs.
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| Different hotels use different catering companies. I found the meals from Rydges Hotel surprisingly healthy! At least it's not burgers and fries or fish and chips. A bottled water comes with every meals. Fruits come with breakfast/lunch, snacks come with lunch while desserts come with dinner. |
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| Rydges Hotel has a selection of espresso coffee and bottled wine to purchase at additional costs. |
Delivery
Friends/families can drop off care package/food/groceries. They will be asked to leave the package to the hotel staff at reception and the staff will make the delivery to your room.
Laundry
A limit of five pieces of laundry per room per day is included in the package. Each piece thereafter will be charged at $5 per piece. Use the laundry bag and form provided like normal practice.
Linens & Towels
Housekeeping service will not be provided (as no one is allowed to enter your room). Rydges Hotel provides fresh towels every 3 days and fresh linen every 7 days. Bathroom amenities are provided every 6 days and available upon request.
Workout
Fitness equipment and accessories are available to hire at a price. You can even rent an exercise bike! To me, a yoga mat is still the easiest. Pack it yourself or ask someone to deliver to you.
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| You can also get creative and use water bottles as your temporary weight! |
Post Quarantine
You need to do one more COVID test on day 16/17 at a pathology centre. You will be asked to sign a declaration form at check-out which you agree that you will self-isolate until a negative test is received. That means you need to stay home in the two to three days following your release from quarantine unless it is for essential purpose (eg: buying groceries).
Environmentally friendly
Surprisingly yes! Both rubbish bag and a green bag for recycling items are provided. I think this really depends on the hotel you are staying.
JACKPOT!
Hong Kong Quarantine VS Australia Quarantine
| Hong Kong | Australia (Queensland) |
Who arranges the stay? | By yourself | By the government |
Who arranges transport from airport to hotel? | By the government | By the government |
Who arranges transport from hotel to home/post quarantine stay? | By yourself | By yourself |
What’s the duration? | Depends on your departure country | 14 days |
How much? | Depends on the hotel you booked | Standard fee set by the government |
Payment method? | Pay upfront | Pay after quarantine upon receiving an invoice from the government |
How will I be monitored for COVID-19? | Self-monitor by measuring body temperature twice a day using the thermometer provided & recording on the logbook provided | Routine telephone call (either to your personal mobile/hotel room landline) to check if you have developed COVID symptoms – occur around day 3, day 8 and day 12 |
How many COVID tests during the stay? | 1 deep throat saliva sample collection (day 4) & 2 nasal and throat swabs (day 9 and day 12) | 3 nasal and throat swabs – day 1, day 5 and day 12 |
How will I be monitored for leaving my room? | Wristband + StayHomeSafe App + asked to turn on Bluetooth & GPS during the whole stay | CCTV at the corridor which is monitored by the police 24/7 |
How many community COVID tests after the stay? | 2 | 1 |
Do I need to self-isolate after hotel quarantine? | No | Yes |
Is food included? | Yes | Yes |
Is there a menu to choose your daily meals from? | Yes | No |
Can I order takeaway? | Yes, at your own costs | Yes, at your own costs |
Is laundry included? | No | Yes |
Can I hire workout gear? | No | Yes, at your own costs |
Can my family/friends deliver things to me?
| Yes, on a non-contact basis | Yes, on a non-contact basis |
Housekeeping service? | No | No |
Can hotel staff enter my room? | No | No |
Can I use the common facilities in the hotel? (eg: gym/pool) | No | No |
Is it environmentally friendly? | No | Yes |
What to pack for a hotel quarantine?
- Masks/sanitizer/wet wipes – even though you are stuck at the hotel room on your own, it’s still wise to maintain hygiene. After all, you are still trapped in a quarantine hotel with travelers from around the world. Also, you need to wear a mask before opening the hotel room door to collect food/other deliveries.
- Vitamin C – keep your body strong when you are having a different diet and lacking sunlight and daily exercises. Don’t forget about all the COVID tests you need to do during the stay!
- Yoga Mat/resistance bands/other workout essentials
- Cutlery & dishwashing liquid – so you don’t need to use the plastic cutlery. It’s also environmentally friendly in this way.
- Pegless travel clothesline & detergent – if laundry is not included in your quarantine bill, at least you can hand wash your undies and save some bucks from paying hotel laundry services.
- Masks/face moisturizer/body cream – lifesaver for your dehydrated skin in an air-conditioned room.
- Room Spray – when you work out, eat three meals per day and do all the other atypical things in the hotel room, it could really stink up the place. A room spray of your favourite scent would be handy to refresh the air and make you feel more comfortable.
- HDMI Cable/Chromecast – for you to binge watch your favourite Netflix show on the hotel room TV instead of your laptop/tablet/phone.
- Portable speaker – so you can play your jam all day long.
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