'Ridiculous': Uproar over Dannii Minogue's quarantine deal

A wave of uproar has erupted online after it was revealed that Australian celebrity Dannii Minogue is quarantining at a Gold Coast home instead of at a government-mandated hotel.

According to news.com.au, Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles confirmed today on ABC radio that the 48-year-old The Masked Singer judge is in isolation at a private home with her ten-year-old son, Ethan.

The pair returned from coronavirus hotspot, the United States, over the weekend, however unlike the majority of the rest of returning travellers, who are required to stay in a hotel for 14 days, it’s reported Dannii was granted permission by the Queensland government to head straight to the Gold Coast property.

Dannii and Ethan are believed to have gone directly to the house after arriving off the flight and will stay there, with no visitors allowed to enter, until the end of their 14 day quarantine period.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young told the Sydney Morning Herald that Dannii has not been given special treatment and is exempt from the hotel quarantine because of a “COVID-safe plan approved for her industry”.

“She has a COVID-safe plan which is being managed by an independent third party. That’s the reason that she got that exemption,” Young said.

“There are a number of people who have come under that category I’ve given an exemption to because they have third party arrangements in place, that I’m confident meet all the requirements that we have in place for hotel quarantine.”

Dannii Minogue is thought to be privately funding her stay on the Gold Coast.

Dr. Young went on to say she has granted 38 exemptions to hotel quarantine so far and a different number of people can apply, including those in the Australian Defence Force, entertainment industry and sporting groups.

The news didn’t go down too well with Twitter users, who called the exemption ‘ridiculous’.

“That is ridiculous if you have a rule it should apply to all people are struggling to pay for quarantine she should now have to pay or donate this to charity @ScottMorrisonMP double standards,” one person wrote.

“Wtf why am I stuck in a sh**** hotel, eating slop, guarded by dozens of cops and paying $2800 for the honour, while Dannii Minogue gets to stay in her no doubt multi-million dollar home? Also come test me @qldhealthnews, someone was supposed to come today but never materialised,” another person wrote.

According to the Queensland Government website, the fee for quarantining at a hotel costs $2,800 for one adult and $3,710 for two.

The quarantine fee includes your accommodation and daily meals. All travellers must quarantine at a hotel, unless you have an exemption which they call ‘rare’.

“At the end of your quarantine, you will get an invoice to pay within 30 days,” the website states.

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