'I've had no sleep since Thursday': Cork man who spent days in mandatory hotel quarantine slams treatment of incoming passengers 

A CORK man who has become the first person to leave hotel quarantine has slammed the treatment of residents there, describing it as 'like something out of a movie' and saying he doubted he would be able to keep it up for a fortnight. 

Patrick had been travelling back from Mexico after attending the birth of his daughter. 

One of his main concerns while staying in the hotel was being without painkillers after suffering a severe toothache.

"I got a root canal done while in Mexico," he said on The Neil Prendeville Show on Cork’s RedFM. "I asked for painkillers but they wouldn't give them to me. 

"They said they had none in the hotel. I've had no sleep since Thursday."

Rules which came into effect at 4am on Friday mean travellers arriving from 33 countries deemed high risk by the Government must quarantine for 12 nights at a designated hotel.

The new rules also apply to any passenger who arrives from any other country without a negative PCR test for Covid-19 carried out no more than 72 hours before they arrive in Ireland.

Patrick was able to leave the hotel quarantine after he tested negative for Covid-19. 

He also voiced concern about the food, saying that, despite numerous reminders to staff that he is a coeliac, he ended up ordering in meals. 

"I had to have food delivered from outside of the hotel."

He spoke of how he felt the conditions were substandard adding: "It's within our rights to be able to go out for fresh air and to get food. 

"The room was also cold. I had come back from Mexico so had no warm clothes with me. 

No one checked on us. I wouldn't be able to do this for 14 days."

He says a number of residents were exploring legal options.

"I'm the first person to leave quarantine. There were people sitting in the lobbies waiting for their lawyers. It's like something out of a movie up there."

There have been complaints from other people in quarantine, and three people made unauthorised departures from the quarantine hotel on Saturday. Two of the three have since been located.

A Department of Health spokesperson told

it does not comment on individual cases.

"The Department of Health is in constant contact with Tifco Hotel Group about all issues relating to the management of mandatory hotel quarantine," they added. "At all times, our priority is to ensure that everyone completing their period of mandatory quarantine is comfortable and secure."