UK travellers complain of ‘prison-like’ situations in quarantine resorts | Coronavirus

Travelers staying in quarantine hotels in the UK after returning from “Red List” countries have complained of “prison-like” conditions, including non-opening windows, lack of fresh air, exercise and decent food.

The Guardian spoke to nine travelers who are or have been in quarantine hotels after returning from countries such as Brazil, India, Pakistan and South Africa. They complained of deterioration in their mental and physical health from being locked in their bedrooms 24/7 and being forced into debt to pay the £ 1,750 per adult fee for the quarantine period.

Some of them had traveled abroad due to the illness or death of loved ones and were already in a desperate and traumatized state before entering the quarantine process.

A hotel breakfast in quarantine. Photo: handout

They also expressed concern about the lack of social distancing at UK airports and the buses that transport people to quarantine hotels.

While no one questioned the need for quarantine, the way the process was handled created the complaints. A Facebook group called UK hotel quarantine support chat was founded and has thousands of members, many of whom have raised concerns about quarantine arrangements.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, an NHS cardiology consultant who returned from Kenya where he had traveled to see his dying father, said: “Not everyone can afford to pay the £ 1,750 cost. This situation seems to be something shamelessly opportunistic. But if you are coming from a country on the Red List, you have no choice. “

Dr. Thanjavur Bragadeesh, also an NHS adviser who had returned from India where he had both had surgery to help care for his elderly parents, said: “It took several hours to get to the hotel after arriving at the airport . The food is not good and the quantities are small. I got a small box of cereal for breakfast with a cheese omelette that was so tough it would hit someone if I tossed it. One of the things I got for dinner was half a naan bread. I don’t know who has the other half! “

He said people who are quarantined would have to be escorted by security guards for their 15 minutes of fresh air. “We are not prisoners, we are not trying to escape,” he said.

“I really feel for the people who quarantine themselves with children. The hotel staff was polite, but the conditions here are claustrophobic. It is perfectly reasonable and sensible not to bring infections into the country, but things don’t have to be so draconian. “

In a quarantine hotel. Photo: handout

58-year-old Zahid Siddiqui returned from Pakistan, where he had been visiting his sick father for several months. He expressed concern about the lack of ventilation, fresh air and exercise, and poor food.

“The whole thing was a nightmare,” he said. “I have various conditions like atrial fibrillation and the medical advice is that I have to exercise every day. But I was only allowed to go outside for two of the eleven days. I’ve never been to jail in my life, but this experience felt like this. I’ve never suffered from depression, but after my time at the quarantine hotel, I now understand the meaning of the word. “

He was told that his quarantine ended at midnight on a specific day so that he could leave the next morning. He said he couldn’t wait that long and got a relative to pick him up from the hotel promptly at midnight.

“I was so hungry that I ate on my trip back to my Cheshire house,” he said.

A 69-year-old woman with diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol who is in a quarantine hotel after returning from Brazil said she was unable to eat the fatty and sugary food that was provided to her. When she complained, she was given an apple, a tangerine, and a banana. “I was very hungry,” she said.

“The food was inedible, I can’t explain how bad it was,” one person complained. Photo: c / o Karen Brown

A woman who had returned from visiting her sick mother in South Africa with her husband and four month old baby said: “We were treated like animals. I asked for help sterilizing my baby’s bottles after we got back to the airport. There was no social distancing there and I was scared of catching Covid at the airport. The food was inedible, I can’t explain how bad it was. I took a bite out of a chicken burger that tasted like pork and spat it out, feeling sick all evening. We are now in debt for paying for the quarantine hotel and we feel completely exhausted. “

A government spokesman said: “Our top priority has always been to protect the public and our robust border regime is helping to minimize the risk of new varieties entering the UK. The government continues to ensure that every person in quarantine gets the support they need, and all of the quarantine facilities they manage meet most of the needs of the people. Hotels will do their best to take the necessary steps to address concerns expressed by guests. “

Government sources added that there were strict rules in place, including seating plans, to ensure social distancing in vehicles used to transport people to quarantine hotels.