Anyone following Dianne Buswell and her 14 day quarantine in a hotel in Australia? She's 4 days in...

[Sparklingbrook]

For the 'never heard of her' crew she's a dancer on Strictly and the other half of Joe Sugg. Desperate to visit her family in Perth-Joe wasn't allowed to go as not an Australian citizen.

I am finding it fascinating. She's in one room with no opening windows 24/7. 3 meals a day delivered in a paper bag (door is knocked, wait 5 minutes then open and collect).

She's had an exercise bike delivered, and seems to be filling the time, but it's very weird to see. I would definitely struggle especially the no fresh air thing.

@Sparklingbrook

The end goal would be so worth it

Being able to see family is so worth it. I would imagine some can't afford the 2 week hotel stay in order to be able to.

Also what if you are visiting a sick relative who can't make the 2 week wait?☹️

Yes that's a good point @MrsDoctorDear, you wouldn't be allowed to skip it for special circumstances.

The idea of spending 14 days in a hotel room with my children is hellish.
During the lockdowns when schools were closed... It sounded like heaven to be alone.

In reality I probably would have missed them though!

(PILs haven't seen their younger son and grandchildren for two years now. Maybe next year... I think it's getting to the point they would do 14 days quarantine to see them, but it isn't possible. They are in Shanghai)

A lot of hotels around the world do not have windows that can open or they open a small bit. Same with a lot of schools and hospitals.

14 days isolation sounds brutal but honestly it's not if you are prepared for it. Although days 3 - 5 can be an utter bitch and you really do start to lose the plot depending on the type of support you have.

There's a number of people who live their lives in isolation for whatever reasons. Their stories are amazing cannot think of any of hand but a quick search should get you started.

I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in a hotel where the windows didn’t open a tiny bit. I understand you can’t have wide opening windows on the tenth floor but possibly an inch?

I think if I could go out for a walk/fresh air even once a day I’d be fine.

I've got a friend whos hotel quarantined in both south africa and uk and he was allowed out for exercise for 15 min a day (with a lot of security!)

I dont think I could deal with no fresh air!

My teen/tween DC, on the other hand would probably be fine considering they dont think about opening any windows in 25° heat at home

I was reading that during the 1919 pandemic Australia closed it's boarders as well. It then had its major outbreak after the rest of the world when it reopened them.

She's on Day 8 now, and seems to be doing very well. her brother has been to wave to her from the street below. In one week he'll be picking her up.

I'm in a UK quarantine hotel at the moment - its fine! (I say that on day 3, ask me again on day 9...).
I'm still working online so a chunk of my day is taken up with that, I get 3 meals delivered to my door, I got a Waitrose delivery today and am allowed outside to exercise for chunks of 20 minutes at a time, I am chilling out and calling friends.
Apart from the fact its costing me 1.7K its fine and I am very pleased I've made it home. The windows do open but I've just kept the aircon on (I live somewhere so hot we don't open windows so I'm not that fussed with the 'fresh air' thing).

I'd be able to do it much more easily coming into the UK than going out to a different country.

If you've been living away for a long time, I'd think that having your accent on the telly, snacks that you've had from being little etc would be quite nice and might help a bit.

I agree it's a long time with no fresh air though.

@Pekkala

I'm in a UK quarantine hotel at the moment - its fine! (I say that on day 3, ask me again on day 9...). I'm still working online so a chunk of my day is taken up with that, I get 3 meals delivered to my door, I got a Waitrose delivery today and am allowed outside to exercise for chunks of 20 minutes at a time, I am chilling out and calling friends. Apart from the fact its costing me 1.7K its fine and I am very pleased I've made it home. The windows do open but I've just kept the aircon on (I live somewhere so hot we don't open windows so I'm not that fussed with the 'fresh air' thing).

The outside exercise bit must make such a difference, Dianne is doing 5ks around the room and sweaty workouts, I do think she'd love some fresh air.

She was trying to work out whether she smelt or it was the room.

Do you have a kitchen area/fridge etc?

@Sparklingbrook

Yes that's a good point *@MrsDoctorDear*, you wouldn't be allowed to skip it for special circumstances.

The authorities have in many cases been utterly barbaric to those with special needs or with terminally ill relatives.

Queensland recently took a baby birthed by a quarantinee moments after her emergency c-section at 30 weeks and sent her back to hotel quarantine. She didn’t see or hold her baby for his first week.

www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-08/qld-covid-cho-defends-decision-to-separate-parents-with-newborn/100191704

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams

I'd be able to do it much more easily coming into the UK than going out to a different country.

If you've been living away for a long time, I'd think that having your accent on the telly, snacks that you've had from being little etc would be quite nice and might help a bit.

I agree it's a long time with no fresh air though.

She has been getting excited about some of the food coming in, treats from childhood called 'roll ups'.

@Porridgeislife that story sounds awful, and as a parent of a prem baby I know the exact feeling of having a baby whisked away after a section. Surely they could do daily PCR tests, even twice a day, to allow them onto NICU, and they will have private rooms away from the other babies. Lots of humane ways to deal with the exceptional circumstances that family is in without risking the other patients.

It's quite self indulgent....

@underneaththeash

It's quite self indulgent....

What is? Wanting to see your family? Or spending 14 days in a hotel as that’s what’s required in order to do so?

@Winterfairy23

I’ve been watching these! Thought it would be quite boring watching someone in a room all day but it’s oddly fascinating!

This is what I expected from the first series of Big Brother! I thought it would be really interesting to see what happens when you isolate a person or group of persons from their normal life and watch how they react… of course for tv that didn’t seem interesting enough and they had loads of enforced drama. Which was a shame, in my opinion.

I don't a kitchen area but do have the have the mini bar fridge so a steady supply of diet coke and real milk for tea. I highly recommend Waitrose deliveries as the prosecco I ordered arrived ready chilled.

Having come from the Middle East, being delivered bacon every morning is quite a thrill and makes up for my lack of liberty

I would definitely need a fridge and ice cold pop!

Suddenly it's Day 12. She's nearly there.

She should be with her family now! She has made me laugh with how creative she has been, and Olaf is a legend!

Yes it’s about 3pm there now I can’t wait to see her next post!
She has been very entertaining. I do wish they had cleaned those windows. Would have made her view better.

Thing is, they’ll get covid eventually. Can’t keep this up forever. They’d better get. Going on their vaccinations

@Fashio

Thing is, they’ll get covid eventually. Can’t keep this up forever. They’d better get. Going on their vaccinations

Not sure that’s what this threads about. But DB has done her 2 weeks and they are testing her before she leaves do she’s done her bit.

Whilst agreeing that the no open windows is awful, if hotel quarantine had been introduced in April or May last year in the UK for red list countries, many people would not have travelled abroad, less infections and deaths (compare the Australian totals per head of population with the UK), and it would have kept many in hospitality in employment.