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Australian man found dead in Seminyak hotel room, evacuated using COVID-19 protocols
While investigators work to ascertain the cause of death, authorities are treating the body with COVID-19 protocols to protect medical workers in case the man tests positive for the disease.
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He was found dead on the bed of his hotel room on Tuesday afternoon after he missed his check-out time. (Shutterstock/andriano.cz)
Authorities are investigating the death of an Australian man who was found dead in his hotel room in Seminyak, Bali, on Tuesday.
While investigators work to ascertain the cause of death, authorities are treating the body with COVID-19 protocols to protect medical workers in case the man tests positive for the disease.
He has been identified as 48-year-old Christopher Steven Tolley. He was found dead on the bed of his hotel room on Tuesday afternoon after he missed his check-out time.
“When the witness went to Tolley’s room, he found a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door. The witness knocked but heard no answer,” said Kuta Police investigation unit head First Insp. Bagus Nagara Baranacita.
He added that the hotel general manager could not open the door as it had been locked from inside. When hotel staff looked into the room through a window, they saw the victim lying on the bed. He did not respond as they called his name.
Read also: French national found dead on Bali sidewalk tests positive for COVID-19
The police immediately coordinated with the COVID-19 task force to remove Tolley’s body as using COVID-19 protocols as a preventive measure. Health authorities took the body to the Sanglah Hospital’s forensic unit for further examination.
“A team from the hospital’s morgue will conduct an examination to find any signs of violence. Should they find anything, we will coordinate with the Australian consulate in Bali, who will inform his family,” Bagus said.
He added that investigators had not started a forensic examination of the hotel room because of concerns that Tolley had died of COVID-19.
“We are concerned that investigators will be infected by COVID-19. Therefore, the COVID-19 task force will examine the room first.”
Badung Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) emergency and logistic unit head Nyoman Ermy Setiari said the agency had implemented COVID-19 protocols in every evacuation process.
“Our team always wears personal protective equipment to protect them from the disease.” (kuk)
