Victoria is currently experiencing its second wave of COVID-19 cases and an inquiry into into Victoria’s hotel quarantine program has heard that nearly all of these cases can be linked back to returned travelers.
The evidence given during the first day of the inquiry highlighted that security guards were given “inappropriate” training and misleading information.
The inquiry aims to identify how the hotel quarantine program was run and the errors made by the departments involved.
Doherty Institute conducted genomic testing to determine the link to returned travelers and the hotel quarantine scandal. Professor Benjamin Howden said during the inquiry that the testing showed 99 percent of cases could be traced back to three networks.
“Over 99 per cent of all current cases in Victoria for which we have genomic sequencing data are derived from transmission network 2 predominantly, as well as transmission network 3 and cluster 45A, such that essentially all current cases, bar a few, are from those transmission networks and that cluster,” he said.
Pr Howden said that the three networks traced had similar characteristics and the initial clusters were made up of returned travelers before being transmitted to the community, but he did not link these to any particular hotels.
Rydges on Swanston hotel and Stamford Plaza were being investigated during the inquiry for COVID-19 outbreaks among staff and private security guards. It was found that guards were not adequately trained to work directly with positive cases.
Pr Lindsay Grayson, Director of the Infectious Disease Department at the Austin Hospital assessed the federal government training module delivered to those working in the hotels. The module consisted of slides and embedded videos taking 30 minutes to complete.
Pr Grayson discussed in the inquiry that the module was structured as “community education about infection control” rather than a document specifically for the staff and security guards working in the programme.
“Elements of it, indeed, the majority of it, is like a training module for the general public rather than someone who is going to come into direct contact, or indeed, be responsible for managing COVID patients,” he said.
The document also stated that PPE was not necessary if a safe distance of 1.5m could be maintained with guests. The security guards were told that masks were not necessary even when assisting in transporting guests from the Skybus to the hotels, handling their baggage and delivering food.
Pr Grayson told the inquiry that the virus was spread through large droplets such as coughing and sneezing, proceeding to say that masks were “crucial” when working with infected guests.
The inquiry is expected to continue with evidence being presented on Tuesday by a DHHS epidemiologist, Dr Charles Alpren. Guests and staff are expected to contribute to the inquiry on Thursday and Friday.
Barrister Tony Neal said that the inquiry aims to determine how the hotel quarantine programme was run and the improvements necessary for any future quarantine programmes.
“If the intent of the program was to prevent returned travellers from infecting other people with COVID-19, then to that extent it fell short of its goal,” he said.
Photo: The Defense Department is making plans to combat the coronavirus, by the U.S Army, available HERE. The image is available under a Creative Commons Attribution, it has not been modified.
