Being an island nation, having a robust quarantine system for returning Australian citizens and permanent residents is the nation’s number one defence against COVID-19.
Without an effective quarantine system, Australia will continually import the virus into the community, resulting in ongoing outbreaks, illness, and costly economic shutdowns.
Victoria is indicative of what happens when quarantine goes wrong. Here, the Andrews Government recklessly outsourced hotel quarantine to dodgy private security firms, rather than the Victorian Police or the Department of Corrections. These firms then used cheap untrained labour hire, resulting in widespread breaches, virus infections and community transmission.
With this background in mind, it is hard to believe that private security guards have been pulled from a Melbourne quarantine hotel and replaced by police after a health worker raised fears about infection control breaches:
Staff employed by Spotless were pulled from the floor of the last remaining “hot” quarantine site – the Novotel in Southbank – mid-shift. The switch came after The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald alerted the government to a healthcare worker’s concerns that echoed failings of the first quarantine program overseen by the Health Department…
Earlier on Wednesday, a healthcare worker involved in the revised quarantine program told The Age and Herald she feared the practices of Spotless staff could lead to further outbreaks that could trigger a third wave of the virus in Victoria.
“I can see it happening all over again,” said the health worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear she could lose her job. “When [international] flights start again, we (Victoria) will be screwed.”
The government confirmed on Tuesday that nine workers had tested positive to COVID-19 in hotel quarantine since the program was overhauled in late July, including five Spotless employees…
The inquiry into flaws of the previous quarantine program heard evidence that poor infection control practices among private security guards, who were not given adequate safety training, allowed the virus to escape into the community…
The Justice Department spokeswoman said there were plans to increase training and infection control standards for the remaining Spotless cleaning staff.
The health worker said she had seen breaches every day at the Brady “hot hotel”, used to house infected people who could not isolate at home. These included floor monitors making mistakes while receiving protective equipment training in areas with infected guests known as “red zones”.
She said she had seen cleaning staff entering incorrect rooms containing COVID-19-positive guests.
“I’m concerned [about] the practice of training brand new staff in a positive environment,” she said.
“We [had] an overabundant number of brand new staff in a very tight and unsafe environment training in red zones.
“They stuff up because they’ve never done a dry run of doffing (removing) their PPE safely.
“It’s so frustrating. I’m always telling new staff to keep their distance or clean their work stations”…
The health worker said problems arose from a confusing chain of command, which included the Justice Department, the Health Department and Alfred Health.
“There’s more fingers in the pie than ever and no more accountability,” she said.
Here’s a novel idea. Instead of ruling over Melburnians with an iron fist and having the Victorian Police issue punitive fines of up $5,000 for minor breaches of inconsistent lockdown rules, how about getting the quarantine basics right? Is that too much to ask?
Stop contracting-out to transient and low-paid private security workers and utilise highly trained (and well paid) staff with robust training in infection control.
Effective quarantine is Australia’s number one defence against the virus. It is Australia’s number one risk area and where the greatest emphasis and resources from our governments must be placed. No other policy response comes close to having an effective quarantine system.
Our governments must get quarantine right so that Australia can avoid a damaging virus third wave. They cannot continue to cut corners and make the same rookie mistakes.
