Students petition against the use of student accommodation as a COVID-19 quarantine facility
Cassandra Lau
Yesterday, residents of the Abercrombie Student Accommodation (ASA) banded together to sign a petition against the University of Sydney’s use of ASA as a coronavirus quarantine facility. Students, parents, guardians and the adjacent Darlington Primary School also objected to the university’s decision.
The petition was organised by Johanna Josodipuro, a resident and Master of Commerce student.
Lawyer and mother of resident and first-year Law student Janice Ng, helped the students draft up the petition.
“Actually the idea came from Johanna’s mum, and she shared the idea with my mum who was equally passionate about the situation,” Ng said.
Earlier today, Samuel Johnson, first-year Bachelor student of Advanced Computing digitised the petition “in order to make things more organised,” he said.
In less than a day, the petition has successfully gathered over 200 signatures, with roughly one new signature every two minutes, said Johnson. The majority of signatures come from concerned and frustrated parents, guardians, and students.
ASA resident and fourth-year Engineering undergraduate, Ada Song said, “To the University we might just be temporary inhabitants passing through. But for many of us, this place is our home, and it’s so disheartening to see they could just brush us off like this.”
The petition requests a “formal apology for being lied to by the university” and “being treated poorly during this situation” as well as a “retraction of the plan to evict 200 students and place a coronavirus quarantine facility next to a primary school, despite the objections and concerns of students, residents, and parents/guardians from Darlington school.”
Seven major concerns were raised by those who signed the petition, namely “Bathroom”, “Rent”, “Location”, “Moving”, “Returning”, “Health”, and “Conceptual” concerns.
“Many students have specifically chosen Abercrombie for first year accommodation due to the fact it is the only University accommodation with private bathrooms. Neither [alternative accommodation sites] contain private bathrooms, leaving some students significantly uncomfortable.”
“A strong concern among residents is the fact that they are going to be required to return to their accommodation after potential coronavirus germs have been concentrated in the room for two weeks (a carrier may not necessarily get infected),” the petition highlights.
“We do not trust that the university can or will clean over 200 rooms to an extent that this concern is negated, especially considering the way the university is dealing with this whole situation. It is understandable that trust has completely eroded between the two parties.”
The petition also details concerns, “among the public that there is a threat to public health, especially considering the building is located directly next to a primary school. Coronavirus quarantine patients have been known to leave confinement, and such a mistake, however unlikely, could jeopardise the health of the local community in such a vulnerable area.”
Some students have also raised concerns about social consequences.
“We are worried this may lead to resentment and potentially conflict between two groups which have done nothing wrong, but are both being impacted by the university’s decision. As a group we welcome the Chinese students and think they are an important positive piece of this university and its operations, but unfortunately some people may be pushed to a hateful opinion due to the university’s mismanagement,” a student said in the petition.
Many also believe “this is simply a cost-cutting exercise” since quarantine only requires students to stay indoors which does not necessarily have to be on-campus or in a university accommodation.
The ASA’s staff have also expressed their concerns regarding the University’s arrangements.
“All staff rotate around Abercrombie, the Regiment, and QVB,” explained an ASA staff member who would prefer not to be named.
“Even when this place becomes a quarantine facility, I’ll still have shifts here. Working between here and the other student accommodations could be risky. I just don’t think it’s the best plan.”
The petition can be accessed here, and the form for signatures can be accessed here.