NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A man who was staying at a Queens hotel where people with COVID-19 can isolate reportedly ran away from the facility without anyone noticing.
The man ditched the 358-room LaGuardia Plaza Hotel—which has been rented out by the city's Health + Hospitals as part of the COVID-19 Hotel Program— this past week, according to the New York Post.
Official minutes from a Wednesday staff meeting obtained by the Post show the man "left the hotel without finishing the recommended quarantine/isolation and did not communicate with hotel staff upon departure."
A head nurse who was at the meeting said it was unclear "how a guest can leave the 3rd floor and no one notices," even with regular wellness checks.
The man, who tested positive for COVID and had mental health issues, hadn't been located by Friday, according to the report.
There were 86 people quarantining at the hotel Thursday, a source told the Post. About 40 staffers work at the facility, including nurses, hall monitors and security guards.
Asked about the man's disappearance, a Health + Hospitals spokesperson told the Post, "Guests who enter our program can voluntarily leave at any time."
"We are committed to ensuring New Yorkers can safely separate from loved ones through our accommodations while recovering from the virus, and receiving high-quality care through our Hotel Program," the spokesperson said.
