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‘Double standards’: WA Police officers dodge hotel quarantine after overseas extradition

Gary Adshead
Article image for ‘Double standards’: WA Police officers dodge hotel quarantine after overseas extradition

Questions have been raised after two police officers were allowed to self-isolate at a South Perth apartment after returning from overseas, rather than going into hotel quarantine.

The officers returned from the United Kingdom on Saturday, where they extradited a 60-year-old man to Australia on historical child sex offences.

WA Police claim the officers are fully vaccinated, and made minimal movements while in the UK.

But Australian Medical Association president Dr Omar Khorshid said it doesn’t guarantee the officers will be virus-free.

“The virus doesn’t care if you are an average Aussie, whether you are someone from overseas … whether you are a diplomat, or whether you are a policeman, you still have that risk of bringing the virus into the community,” he told Liam Bartlett.

“The idea that there is a lower standard for policeman is really quite alarming.

“There is a chance even though they are vaccinated, that these police could transmit the virus and bring it in to WA.

“If there is good evidence that vaccinated individuals don’t need to be going into hotel quarantine, well let’s make that the rule for the rest of us too.”

Assistant Police Commissioner Paul Steele said it’s not a “double standard” as they are following the rules made by health officials.

“This is not something WA Police has sought, this is actually an exemption from hotel quarantine agreed by the AHPPC (Australian Health Protection Principal Committee),” he said.

“It doesn’t exempt them from quarantine.

“These people are still required to quarantine for 14 days, these people are still restricted, they are not allowed out of their quarantine location.

“They are still required to undergo the same testing, the only difference is, that they are not doing it in a state supervised quarantine facility. ”

Press PLAY to hear the full interviews 

(Photo: WA Police.) 

Gary Adshead
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