Confirmation that the Daniel Andrews relaunched hotel quarantine program has recorded over 3,000 incidents demonstrates the ongoing failure of the Andrews Labor Government to deliver a safe, effective quarantine program.
Figures obtained by the Liberal Nationals under Freedom of Information negotiations show there have been more than three thousands incidents recorded within Victoria’s troubled hotel quarantine system to 30 June 2021 since it was re-launched as COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria (CQV) in November 2020.
These figures confirm that more than 12 incidents per day have occurred within hotel quarantine, with more than two-thirds of incidents classified in the highest and most serious category.
Of the 3000 incidents, 2066 were considered serious breaches, that required immediate escalation within 30 minutes of the incident for urgent notification and remediation.
These serious incidents include assaults by staff or resident, attempted or actual external breach of hotel quarantine, and possession of prohibited item.
The remaining 976 incidents are classified as reportable incidents and include abuse to staff, assault threat by a resident, injury to resident, prohibited item disclosed, and damage to CQV/hotel property or equipment.
In May 2021, the Herald Sun reported an array of breaches and incidents in hotel quarantine including:
- Outside air running into the Park Royal Hotel at Melbourne Airport was switched off every night for 10 to 14 hours to ‘save energy’. This lead to a build-up of contaminants and viral particles overnight.
- Quarantine staff in hotel red zones had to follow a complicated PPE ‘matrix’ in conflict with Health Department guidance, leading to staff walking between red and green zones.
- A frontline medical officer defiantly vaping inside a quarantine hotel despite being warned by health staff the e-cigarette mist could promote “viral spread”.
Despite the catastrophic failures of Daniel Andrews first hotel quarantine program and the $19.8 million Coate Inquiry which handed down a report with 89 recommendations on how to fix Hotel Quarantine – it’s clear that Labor has learnt nothing and still hasn’t got hotel quarantine right.
Daniel Andrews has no plan to plug the gaps in his failed quarantine program – only a plan to blame others and cover-up the truth.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Police & Crime Prevention, David Southwick:
“With more than one breach every two hours, it’s clear Labor’s quarantine program is a COVID ticking time bomb.
“Labor simply hasn’t learn the lessons of its catastrophic hotel quarantine program that caused the deaths of over 800 Victorians.
“How many resets, relaunches and new Ministers will it take before Daniel Andrews finally gets a safe, effective quarantine program up and running?
“Daniel Andrews has no plan to bring Victorians home safely and keep our state open – just a plan for more lockdowns and tighter restrictions.
