Horrendous service at quarantine hotel – Senedd candidate
A SENEDD election candidate has spoken out about “horrendous” conditions at a hotel where she and members of her family are having to quarantine after returning last week from a wedding in Pakistan.
Social worker Neelo Farr, of Bridgend, who is a Welsh Labour regional list candidate in South Wales West, arrived back in the UK last Thursday with her husband, Nadeem Asad, and is due to be held in a quarantine hotel in Birmingham until next Sunday.
In a Facebook posting, she wrote: “Returned to UK from Pakistan Thursday night to go into a quarantine hotel as Pakistan was placed on red list giving only five days notice!
“In Holiday Inn, NEC Birmingham - service is horrendous. I acknowledge they have many people majority Muslims who are fasting.
“We are not allowed out of our rooms and food is left outside in cartons. Need to clean own room and wash dishes to reuse as no extra given.
“Food does not arrive on time - we open fast at 8 yet food comes at 10!! Mine arrived just on time to open my [Ramadan] fast, but still waiting for hubby’s food, who’s a diabetic.
“Called reception twice, explained he needs to take his meds, yet still no food.
“The cost for us to stay is £2,400 for 10 days, and yet we can’t get food on time.
“First night the children went to bed hungry. They have more guards on each floor and outside than staff. We are being treated worse than prisoners – allowed out for 20 minutes but only if a guard is available.
“We all have had Covid tests with
They have more guards on each floor and outside than staff. We are being treated worse than prisoners Social worker Neelo Farr
My niece suggested it would have been better if we’d paid £1,000, were allowed to go home to isolate and were electronically tagged
negative results before we flew back. What more do the government want? This is nothing but punishment with no respect and dignity. “Three nights and each night many people have gone to bed without their food. If it was being provided for free I would understand, but we are paying for this service.”
Ms Farr told the Western Mail: “At the time we went it was within the rules to travel to Pakistan for a family wedding. We went for two weeks.
“Unfortunately the rules were changed when we were out there because of an increase in infections in the northern part of the country – the opposite end to where we were.
“We tried to get tickets to come back early and miss the quarantine, but we weren’t successful. Only two out of our 15-strong family group managed to get air tickets and the rest of us are now in quarantine.
“I don’t blame the staff of the hotel – they’re only following the instructions of the UK Government, who are wholly to blame for the pettiness of it all, so far as I am concerned.”
Ms Farr said the hotel had not been aware that young children would be among the quarantined guests.
“As a result there is no special food for children. There are curries, which are fine for adults, but children prefer fish fingers and nuggets. The burgers they had were not halal.”
Ms Farr claimed conditions were worse than in prison.
“You’re supposed to be allowed a 20-minute exercise break outside, but I was told that was only possible if a guard was available, which wasn’t immediately the case.
“The whole thing has been organised very badly by the Tory government. My niece suggested it would have been better if we’d paid £1,000, were allowed to go home to isolate and were electronically tagged.”
A spokeswoman for Holiday Inns said: “We are unable to share any comment as hotel selection and the approach to quarantine is a matter for the DHSC [the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care].”
A UK Government spokesman said: “Our priority remains to protect the health of the public, and our enhanced borders regime is helping protect the country and vaccination rollout against variants.
“Hotels providing managed quarantine facilities are able to meet the vast majority of requirements and must provide guests with three meals a day, access to Wifi, welfare and health support.”