Gov’t plays down concerns of high risk passengers accommodated with Fiji arrivals at QC

A group of people quarantined at the Pacific Casio Hotel who arrived from low risk country Fiji, from have expressed concern following the accommodation of some people arriving from high risk countries over the weekend in rooms next to them.

But the government was quick to defend its decision when asked by this magazine.

In a statement to this magazine, the government says arrivals from Auckland and Brisbane in the recent repatriation flight comprised of low and some high risks passengers.

“Quarantine station and room allocation is based on a number of considerations including risk assessment and availability of rooms. As a risk mitigation strategy we keep high risk individuals away from the CBD.

 “As such, some of the low and high risks are also accommodated at Pacific Casino where arrivals from Fiji are also accommodated,” the statement said.

A spokesman for the concerned people arriving from Fiji, their biggest worry is some of the people arriving beyond the Pacific region are just accommodated in a room next to some of them.

“This is our worry,” he told this magazine.

 But in response, the government says: “It must be noted that health risks assessment have been conducted by health and the current allocation of quarantine station and rooms at the Pacific Casino Hotel poses very little to no risk at all of COVID-19 spread within the quarantine stations/between rooms. Any case of spread within Pacific Casino quarantine station can only occur if people in quarantine breach the quarantine rules,” the statement said.

It states all persons under quarantine are adhering to all the quarantine protocols and rules in place thus there should not be any cause for concern.

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