You Will Pay $3000-$5000 For Hotel Quarantine, Here Are State Details

As Australia slashes international arrivals by half, returning home for travelers sill stranded overseas or simply wanting to visit just got a whole lot harder. And very costly. Solo traveling Australian citizens and residents returning to most states will now have to foot a $3,000 hotel quarantine bill. A family of four will be hit with an invoice of around $5,000 for their stay.

All arrivals into Australia since the borders closed in March are quarantined in their port of arrival for 14 days, at a hotel. Most states have been covering the costs of those stays.

But last week Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that will change dramatically. International arrivals will be culled by 50%º–from 8,000 to 4,000 a week–to lift pressure on the hotel quarantine system. The number of weekly flights too will be slashed accordingly.

The PM said each state will now introduce its own charging system. But the idea is for a fairly uniform approach.

New South Wales was the first to announce that from next Saturday travelers will have to cough up the cost of their quarantine stay. Those who purchased flights before 11.59 pm on July 12 do not have to pay. The fees apply to all international arrivals in NSW, no matter where in Australia you live. This as Sydney airport restricts the number of daily arrivals to 450.

One critic is currently quarantined lawyer, Amy Knibbs. “In a wealthy country like Australia, the public health should be paid for by the public dime, not lumped on those who just happened to be living overseas at the wrong time,” she writes in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Here’s a breakdown of the costs you face and what it will get you:

• The NWS pricing model is $3,000 for an adult traveler, $1,000 per additional adult from the same family and $500 per child. Children under 3 are free.
• The fixed cost includes meals and hotel room costs the government says. “The NSW Government will continue to fund security, transport and logistics.”

What Are Other States Doing

South Australia A similar scheme with precisely the same pricing kicks in on Saturday in SA. Travelers must pay for the 14-day quarantine in Adelaide hotels, Premier Steven Marshall said Monday.

The Northern Territory has been charging quarantined arrivals $2,500 per fortnight since 4 April. There are concessions for lower income earners, and some exemptions.

Queensland swept in a $2,800 a fortnight fee on July 1 for a single adult, $3,710 for a couple, and $4,620 for a family of four. “Payment plans are available if you cannot pay by the due date,” the government says. “You may also apply to have the fee waived after you get the invoice.” There’s a cap of 500 international arrivals a week at Brisbane airport.

Western Australia WA will start charging for quarantine hotels from 17 July. The government has not yet provided a pricing scale but it will probably align with those of NSW and SA. A month-long cap on arrival of 525 international passengers per week, about 75 a day, started July 12.

Tasmania The state still pays for quarantine in “government provided accommodation” for non-Tasmanians, and those returning from overseas travel. Tasmanian residents must self-isolate at their own homes.

Victoria The government has until now paid the bill. Currently there are no international flights into the state.

The ACT so far covers hotel quarantine costs, but the PM did say the plan would go nationwide so it’s not sure for how long. Exemptions are made on medical and compassionate grounds by emailing covid.exemptions@act.gov.au.

Victoria Back In Lockdown For 6 Weeks

The move to make citizens and residents pay for quarantine came amid the biggest Covid-19 outbreak in Australia in months. The sustained spike in the state of Victoria has seen the Greater Melbourne area return to a strict lockdown. State and federal leaders attribute it mostly to a bungle in the hotel quarantine system.

Governments Have Paid Millions on Hotel Quarantine

The PM said he wanted to channel the billions spent on hotel quarantine to testing and tracing.

NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, defended the move as fair, given people have had several months to make plans to return. The NSW Government bill alone has hit $65 million. Berejiklian says 35,000 travelers have now been put up in Sydney hotels. “Mandatory quarantine is needed to stop the spread of Covid-19 in NSW,” says the state. “The quarantine fee will reduce the financial burden of Covid-19 on NSW taxpayers.” 

What Does This Mean For Temporary Visa Holders?

The cuts on international arrivals probably means further delays for temporary visa holders who’ve been banned entry since March 20. Foreigners can apply for exemptions “based on a compelling or compassionate reason” reports SBS. About one million visa holders remain stuck outside the country it claims.

Further Reading:

Australia Slashes Overseas Arrivals By 50%–Ends Free Quarantine Hotels

Australia: New Coronavirus Lockdown Melbourne Amid Sex, Lies, Quarantine Hotel Scandal