Security increased at Adelaide hotels used for COVID-19 quarantine

Returning Aussies will be treated as COVID-positive until proven otherwise under beefed up rules to greet the next planeload.

All expatriates returning to Adelaide from overseas will be regarded as COVID-19 positive until testing shows otherwise under tightening of medi-hotel operations.

Those found to be positive will be housed in two floors of the Pullman Hotel in the city while the State Government looks for a permanent alternative.

This follows a decision by SA Health to abandon plans to reopen the Wakefield Hospital as a dedicated facility.

Other changes being introduced in the aftermath of the Peppers Hotel outbreak include around-the-clock presence of police officers and nurses on hotel floors.

Medical staff prepare to test returned travellers for COVID-19 at Peppers Hotel. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Health Minister Stephen Wade said the first international flight since the Parafield cluster was detected last month, prompting a statewide lockdown, was due within days.

“While having a dedicated facility for COVID-19 guests will reduce the risk in the medi-hotels, the safety and security at the medi-hotels are being maintained as though every international traveller is positive,” he said.

Mr Wade said the Pullman Hotel was chosen to house any infected travellers infected as it was the state’s “longest serving, and most experienced, medi-hotel”.

“This interim site chosen has safely quarantined thousands of returning Australians,” he said.

“It is our most experienced medi-hotel and the professional approach by its management, in co-operation with SA Health and SAPOL, has served the state and the nation extremely well.

“It was identified as the safest interim solution as a longer term site is set to be confirmed very shortly.”

Problems identified at the Wakefield included inadequate ventilation, no balconies to provide fresh air and poor security monitoring.

Police at the barricade outside the Peppers Waymouth Hotel. Picture: Matt Turner.

Mr Wade said “thorough planning and enhanced safety and security measures” were being implemented the existing medi-hotels, especially the Pullman.

“The enhanced approach will ensure the health needs of COVID-19 cases are met at the same time as minimising the risk of transmission beyond the facility,” he said.

The new measures included:

SPACING of rooms for guests, so no entry doors were co-located

AIR flow analysis ensure high ventilation levels

CCTV monitoring to ensure guests and staff did not breach compliance rules.

ACCESS to nursing care and mental health support.

DEDICATED police and nursing teams stationed on both floors within a clinical room and with access to individual bathrooms and kitchenette.

NO workers, including SAPOL and SA Health staff, assigned to the floors being able to work in another high risk environment such as another medi-hotel or aged care facility.

CONTRACTORS being used to clean rooms after guests cleared quarantine to ensure no crossover of housekeeping or cleaning staff from other areas of the hotel.

STRICT controls over the disposal of waste.

Health Minister Stephen Wade is confident new measures will help confine cases of COVID-19 detected inside medi-hotels. Picture: Russell Millard

Mr Wade said several guests remained at Peppers, where a cleaner, two security guards and a couple in quarantine became infected.

It would be “deep cleaned” once the last guests had checked out.

Mr Wade said the state was “proud” to be helping stranded Australian citizens and permanent residents return from overseas.

“Personally, I want to pay tribute to the SA Health, SA Police, hotel and security staff who are helping bring Aussies home for Christmas,” he said.

South Australia recorded no new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, with the total number of cases relating to the Parafield Cluster remaining at 33.

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