Case 94: Child with a disability exempted from detention in hotel quarantine

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A family detained in hotel quarantine in Queensland complained to the Queensland Human Rights Commission about the impact of the detention on their child who has autism spectrum disorder. The child experienced serious food aversions which were not accommodated by the hotel quarantine operator. The family was also separated in quarantine so that the child’s mother was not able to be supported by the other family members. The hotel quarantine conditions caused the child to experience serious distress. The Commission used the Queensland Human Rights Act to engage with Queensland Health and secure the family a fast-tracked exemption to the hotel quarantine requirement one day after the family’s complaint was lodged, allowing the family to quarantine at home.

Source: The First Annual Report on the Operation of Queensland’s Human Rights Act 2019-20, p. 136