Halls Head couple's hotel room breached by security guard in bizarre act

Husband and wife Rob, 65, and Rosemary, 69, were in bed in their Mercure Hotel room when the security guard made his way through their door around 9pm, supposedly looking for a TV remote.

After being chased out of the room by Rob, the guard told the couple he didn't speak any English.

Under current hotel quarantine protocol no one is to enter their room. Even their COVID-19 tests are carried out with them standing at the doorway.

Having just returned from Victoria, Rob and Rosemary have been forced to fit the bill for their mandatory two-week stay in quarantine.

But Dawesville Liberal MP and shadow minister for health Zak Kirkup is calling on the state government to waive the costs of the couple's stay in the wake of the protocol breach.

Mr Kirkup has written to WA health minister Roger Cook with the request.

"Given the stress they've endured, they shouldn't be paying for what is a really substantial breach of their quarantine process," he told the Mandurah Mail.

"These are two upstanding citizens who have abided by all the laws and are trying to do the right thing, and through no fault of their own, their quarantine process has been breached.

"The minister should do the right thing and waive their quarantine charges. Why should they have to pay?

"It's a nightmare for them, honestly."

The Department of Health indicated there were no plans to extend Rob and Rosemary's quarantine period following the breach, and said the pair would not be charged for any additional days should they be forced to stay longer.

"There are no plans to have the couple extend their quarantine. There is no community transmission in Western Australia - therefore the risk to the couple is low," a spokesperson for the Department said.

"However, in any situation, 14 days is the maximum people will be charged for hotel quarantine - if their stay is extended due to a COVID-19 positive test, they will not be charged for additional days."

The Department also confirmed the security guard involved in the breach had been stood down from his post and forced to undergo isolation himself.

Hotel security breaches have already been linked to coronavirus outbreaks in Melbourne.

Mr Kirkup recently called on the state government to implement an expert committee to prepare for a "potential second wave" of the virus in WA, and cited the breach of Rob and Rosemary's quarantine as the "exact reason" it was necessary.

"This type of issue just reinforces the need for an expert review committee to be established," he said.

"WA residents have done an amazing job responding the pandemic, and now we want to make sure everything is in tip top condition from here on out."