Movie star Tom Hanks won't be spending the next 14 days and nights holed up in mandatory hotel quarantine with other travellers, after flying into Queensland from the US on Tuesday night (September 7).
The star - who is in Australia to resume filming Baz Luhrmann's big budget Elvis Presley biopic - was whisked away after landing at the Gold Cost in a private jet, and is now staying in a resort in Broadbeach.
The Courier Mail reports the film's production company has rented out several floors of the resort to operate its own quarantine operations.
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And while he isn't staying in one of the usual quarantine-assigned hotels, Hanks is not allowed into the community during the 14-day quarantine.
Hanks underwent 14 days of self-isolation on the Gold Coast in March with his wife Rita Wilson after the couple tested positive for coronavirus.
Since then, he has recovered and even donated his plasma for medical research into the disease.
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The 64-year-old actor, who on this trip to Australia has been afforded the special treatment under the film industry's Covid-safe plan, has the backing of Queensland's Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Ms Palaszczuk confirmed on Wednesday that Hanks was exempt from the usual quarantine under the plan.
"The industry plan for Covid in relation to the screen industry is a plan that has been approved, just like there is for the resources industry, just like there is for the agriculture industry," she said.
"Under that plan they have to stay in the place for two weeks just like everybody else and they will have random checks, as my understanding, by the police," she told Parliament.
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Ms Palaszczuk said the film will bring more than $100 million and 900 jobs into the Gold Coast economy, and she is keen for more production to take place in the region.
"I've had discussion with Mayor Tom Tate to find out how we can have more production on the Gold Coast because other countries are shut down because of Covid," she added.
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