Dozens of infection control breaches in medi-hotels but details on COVID-19 ‘risks’ stay secret

Fresh details on medi-hotel breaches have been revealed including on infection controls and security failings. But what they are remain secret.

More than 200 coronavirus infection control breaches have occurred in the state’s medi-hotels, official figures show, as fresh security failings emerge.

New SA Health data shows 205 blunders that triggered COVID-19 “risks” have been recorded since hotel quarantine launched in April last year.

But specific details remain secret after SA Health officials refused to explain how seven “medium” risk breaches occurred or at what facility.

The other 198 incidents were deemed “low” risk.

No security breaches have occurred at the CBD’s Tom’s Court facility for infectious patients since February. The figures come as details emerged in State Parliament of dozens of other security breaches involving medi-hotel guards.

SA Health is reviewing how it classifies breaches but has altered its definition to focus on infection control.

Deputy chief public health officer Dr Emily Kirkpatrick defended the new reporting as a more “accurate mechanism to measure any potential risks within the medi-hotels”.

“Our No. 1 priority is to ensure all infection control risks within the medi-hotels are quickly identified so we can implement measures to protect the staff and wider community,” she said.

Dr Emily Kirkpatrick defended the reporting changes. Picture: Keryn Stevens

A 10-page SA Health directive, dated March 22 and obtained by the Sunday Mail, states failings will now be classed as either low or high risk.

A chart states breaches may include wrong items being used in specific zones, personal protective equipment worn incorrectly or self-contamination mistakes.

Others listed were removing PPE incorrectly, hotel guests not following rules, people walking through lockdown zones or hotel room problems such as guests locking themselves out or opening doors without masks.

Risk ratings are based on potential exposure levels and how it is then reported. It does not detail guard failings.

SA Health deputy chief executive officer Lynne Cowan recently told the Upper House three more guards were sacked “mostly due to unprofessional behaviour in the workplace” between late November and March 1, but did not say why.

Before then, five guards were sacked for sleeping or being drunk on the job, disorderly behaviour, deception and wrongful social media use.

Ms Cowan told MPs that over the same time, 73 COVID-19 “breaches” involved guards after a “change in definition” of what was deemed a blunder. It follows 94 similar incident over the previous five months.

Police, military and medical personal at the Peppers Hotel on Waymouth St. Picture: Emma Brasier.

She said the “majority” involved guards failing to follow rules or not wearing PPE properly. “These incidents were assessed as presenting a low to zero infection risk,” she said.

SA Health has overhauled its medi-hotel operations after last year’s Parafield cluster, the state’s worst outbreak, was sparked by a breach.

More CCTV cameras – monitored by two staff – are used and fewer guards now walk around rather than sit down outside rooms.

Taxpayers’ security bill is at least $25.5m. Opposition spokesman Chris Picton said the public deserved to know breach details. “National experts say as long as there are medi-hotels used in CBDs there will be a continual risk of COVID escaping and causing lockdowns,” he said.

On Saturday night, 25 infectious patients were at Tom’s Court, which cost almost $126,000 to operate in its first fortnight of “minimum occupancy”.

A woman in her 30s was in a stable condition in the Royal Adelaide Hospitalon Saturday night.

Of last week’s 13 new cases, eight were from Pakistan and two from India.

Foreign flights were last week secretly suspended over three days to relieve quarantine pressures, which Health Minister Stephen Wade says has stabilised.