Three COVID Detainees Escape Quarantine Camp, Are Arrested After Foot Chase
At least a few Australians will not settle gently into forced confinement in the nation’s quarantine camps for those who might have the coronavirus.
Three people escaped the Howard Springs COVID-19 quarantine facility in Darwin on Tuesday, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Police say the three scaled a fence at the facility but have since been captured and arrested after a foot chase. Police identified the three as teenagers — ages 15, 16 and 17 — who tested negative for the virus after being apprehended.
Police said they don’t think the teens came into contact with any members of the community.
Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner said all three teens were from the Binjari community near the Katherine region of the Northern Territory and had been moved into quarantine as close contacts of positive cases, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Their escape Tuesday followed the escape of a 27-year-old man who scaled the fence several days ago. He later was captured, according to Perth Now.
One woman secured 15 minutes of freedom in January before being captured after scaling the fence.
This is Howard Springs Covid Quarantine Camp for all the “dangerous” people to society.
This is not in China however.
This is in AUSTRALIA.Are you paying attention yet? #NoVaccinePassports #ConcentrationCamps pic.twitter.com/qy2FlVz5RY
— Sean Feucht (@seanfeucht) September 4, 2021
When the three teens escaped, police confirmed a major operation was underway to round them up, with masked police at checkpoints stopping and searching vehicles in the vicinity of the camp.
NT Police confirm they’re looking for three people who scaled the quarantine facility’s fence before 5 this morning @9NewsAUS @9NewsDarwin pic.twitter.com/PoOMEZUmWi
— Tahlia Sarv (@tahliasarv) November 30, 2021
The Howard Springs camp holds two groups of people – those impacted by a COVID-19 outbreak in the Katherine region and returned travelers from repatriation flights.
Australia announced Tuesday that a person with the Omicron variant had been found in the community, according to Reuters.
The fully vaccinated person had been at a Sydney shopping center while probably infectious, officials said.
So far, Australia has reported six cases of the variant.
Officials said those infected with the Omicron variant appear to be either asymptomatic or have very mild symptoms.
“We need to make calm decisions. Don’t get spooked by this,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, according to Reuters.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said that “while it’s an emerging variant, it’s a manageable variant.”
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