We’re launching a citizen-led evaluation of the hotel quarantine system—from the perspective of those who have been through it.
Our goal is to collect robust data, along with personal stories, about the quarantine experience as well as data on the short- and long-term effects of hotel quarantine on physical and mental health.
We also want to systematically collect feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the quarantine system, and any suggestions for improvement. We hope this data can be used to help decision makers minimise distress among those who pass through hotel quarantine in the future.
We have launched a study to collect feedback from anyone who has passed through Australia’s hotel quarantine program. Anyone who has been through quarantine can also share their story through an interview with one of our team members.
We recognise that many Australians are in support of continued hotel quarantine requirements and we want to make sure that public debate includes the voices of those who have experienced quarantine.
Politicians have indicated that hotel quarantine will remain in place for the near- to medium-term. This makes it all the more important to make sure the experience is informed by those it impacts most.
By day 5 I was not coping and had an anxiety attack, I reached out to the nurse on call who was very unhelpful and kept just saying “everyone is in this situation and even she doesn’t want to be here but has to be."
I hung up feeling overwhelmed and feeling like I couldn’t cope, when I got a knock at the door and two police officers said they had been told my behaviour was unacceptable and would arrest me if I didn’t calm down.