Security guards employed to monitor returned travellers inside quarantine hotels in Victoria were sleeping with guests in the lead up to the state’s second COVID-19 outbreak, it has been claimed.
Victoria is experiencing an alarming spike in coronavirus cases and 36 suburbs across 10 postcodes were thrust into lockdown again overnight to stem the spread.
On Wednesday the state experienced the highest number of cases with no identified source since the beginning of the crisis. There have now been 301 cases of community transmission in the state.
Premier Daniel Andrews acknowledged there were a ‘handful’ of breaches among staff at the hotels which may have contributed to the outbreaks and has launched an inquiry into the matter.
Staff inside the Stamford Hotel in Melbourne are seen moving luggage for guests in quarantine on June 25. There is now an inquiry into the hotel quarantine process within Victoria. It is not suggested staff at the hotel were involved in any wrongdoing, only that its processes will be investigated as part of the inquiry
Victoria is battling a second wave of coronavirus infections in Melbourne’s outer-suburbs, with a particular uptick in locally acquired cases
Claims that security staff were sexually active with some of the guests in the hotels will form part of the investigation.
The allegations have been heard among police and government circles, as well as within the hotel industry, the Herald Sun reported.
Other allegations which will be investigated include security firms engaging in ‘ghosting’ – a practice which involves inflating the amount of guards listed on duty to charge the government and taxpayer more for their services.
Operators charged the government for a certain number of staff even though there were less working, even giving fake names for the non-existent employees, the paper reported.
A medical professional ready for a day of coronavirus testing on July 1 in Brunswick West
Pictured: People have swab samples taken during testing for COVID-19 in a suburban park in Melbourne
The allegations which will be investigated include:
- Hotel staff sleeping with guests
- Guards shaking hands with each other and sharing lifts
- Quarantined families visiting other guests within the hotel to play card games with each other
- Limited training being offered to security guards prior to shifts
- Security wearing personal protective equipment for extended periods of time without changing it
A hotel source insisted the Andrews Government was made aware of the allegations.
Since March 29, some 20,000 returned overseas travellers have spent a fortnight quarantined in hotel rooms in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Authorities first realised coronavirus was spreading via staff at the hotels after conducting genomic testing – which tracks the markings of different strains of the virus – revealed there were commonalities among multiple hotel contacts.
Health officials believe the virus was likely contracted at the hotel quarantine locations and then spread among security guards’ friends and family.
A health worker performs a COVID-19 test at Melbourne Showgrounds on June 29 (pictured) as widespread testing continues across the city – with many cases linked to quarantine hotels
Victoria recorded 73 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. Pictured: A coronavirus test is conducted in Hallam, Melbourne, on Wednesday
Mr Andrews said DNA tests showed a number of cases could be linked to ‘staff members in hotel quarantine breaching well-known and well-understood infection control protocols’.
Officials said the breaches were linked to a significant number of cases in late May and early June.
There are also concerns that some staff regularly worked shifts at different hotels, as well as private work outside of the quarantine hotel contract.
‘That left me in no doubt that if not right now, but certainly back weeks and weeks ago, there was a significant infection control problem,’ Mr Andrews said.
‘That is unacceptable to me. I’m sure that will be unacceptable certainly to all of those who will be impacted by the restrictions that we have had to reimpose.’
A mobile testing site is set up in Keilor Downs, Melbourne, amid the spike in COVID-19 cases
The genomic testing report will not be released to the public as it contains sensitive health details about the people involved.
So far, the verified breaches of infection control among staff at the hotels include car pooling to and from work, sharing cigarettes and lighters, hugging and handshakes.
Mr Andrews previously said he believed staff sharing a cigarette lighter had contributed to the widespread outbreak.
On Sunday, the premier said staff at the hotel had followed correct protocols relating to social distancing, but had unwittingly spread the virus after sharing a lighter.
‘[They were] keeping their distance but sharing a lighter between each other,’ he said.
‘An innocent thing that can lead to transmitting the virus.’
The three security companies which oversaw the hotel quarantine process were all private firms.
The trio were handed the contracts without a formal tender process because the government was desperate to rush the decision through national cabinet.
The decision was in contrast to New South Wales’ process, which engaged police to man hotels, while Queensland used a combination of health staff, defence force personnel and police.
The hotel program will restart under the supervision of Corrections Victoria.
This map shows the suburbs which will be subject to stay-at-home orders from Wednesday at 11.59pm after a spike in coronavirus cases
Premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday afternoon revealed 928 residents in two Melbourne suburbs identified as hotspots had refused the swab
Over the past three days alone, the state has identified 212 new cases of the deadly respiratory infection – including 73 on Wednesday.
Victoria’s Deputy Chief Health Officer Annaliese van Diemen previously admitted there had been breaches of physical-distancing measures at the Stamford Plaza hotel.
‘There’s been some closer mingling than we would have liked of these guards in the workplace,’ she said.
‘There’s a large cohort of security guards and workers and unfortunately it does appear that quite a few of them have worked for single or multiple days whilst infectious.’
Six of the state’s 64 new cases on Tuesday were linked to an outbreak among workers at the Stamford Plaza hotel, taking the cluster total to 29.
More than 30 cases have also been linked to the Rydges on Swanston after workers took the virus home, spreading it to their families.
Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier said the inquiry into the ‘scandal-ridden’ and ‘shambolic’ program was overdue.
People wait in chairs and cars during testing for the COVID-19 coronavirus at a drive and walk through pop-up venue in Melbourne on July 1
Pictured: The exterior of Stamford Plaza, which is housing returned travellers who tested positive for coronavirus