Laidback Al
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Hotel evicts swine flu sufferers
A decision by a Holiday Inn in Sydney's CBD to evict two swine flu victims has won support from the hotel industry.
The Holiday Inn at Darling Harbour is evicting two guests because it says it is not its job to manage people's quarantine.
The Australian Hotels Association says health departments are ignoring a national pandemic policy by using hotels to quarantine victims.
The association's chief executive, Bill Healey, says the policy was developed with the previous federal government during the SARS emergency.
"We have accepted that people that may have been in contact with people with a possible disease may need to be housed in our hotels for observation but once someone has been diagnosed with a problem, they should be in a health facility," he said.
New South Wales health authorities have promised to help swine flu victims find alternative accommodation if they're evicted from their hotels.
In a statement, the InterContinental group, which owns the Darling Harbour Holiday Inn, says it is working with the Health Department to ensure the guests are transferred elsewhere.
"Our first priority is the health and safety of our guests and staff," the statement.
"While the hotel has taken appropriate measures to ensure these infected guests have remained isolated from others in the hotel, it is not appropriate for us to manage the quarantine of confirmed sufferers of the virus."
Meanwhile, another hotel in Parramatta says reports that it is evicting swine flu victims are false.
This morning Australia had around 150 confirmed cases of swine flu. Victoria is by far the worst-affected state with 99 cases, with New South Wales a distant second with 33.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/29/2584200.htm
hat tip to Sonny.
A decision by a Holiday Inn in Sydney's CBD to evict two swine flu victims has won support from the hotel industry.
The Holiday Inn at Darling Harbour is evicting two guests because it says it is not its job to manage people's quarantine.
The Australian Hotels Association says health departments are ignoring a national pandemic policy by using hotels to quarantine victims.
The association's chief executive, Bill Healey, says the policy was developed with the previous federal government during the SARS emergency.
"We have accepted that people that may have been in contact with people with a possible disease may need to be housed in our hotels for observation but once someone has been diagnosed with a problem, they should be in a health facility," he said.
New South Wales health authorities have promised to help swine flu victims find alternative accommodation if they're evicted from their hotels.
In a statement, the InterContinental group, which owns the Darling Harbour Holiday Inn, says it is working with the Health Department to ensure the guests are transferred elsewhere.
"Our first priority is the health and safety of our guests and staff," the statement.
"While the hotel has taken appropriate measures to ensure these infected guests have remained isolated from others in the hotel, it is not appropriate for us to manage the quarantine of confirmed sufferers of the virus."
Meanwhile, another hotel in Parramatta says reports that it is evicting swine flu victims are false.
This morning Australia had around 150 confirmed cases of swine flu. Victoria is by far the worst-affected state with 99 cases, with New South Wales a distant second with 33.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/29/2584200.htm
hat tip to Sonny.
