Covid-19 quarantine hub: Why it won’t become a white elephant

The Queensland Government is sceptical, but the Federal Government has explained how its proposed quarantine centre might be used post-pandemic.

A quarantine facility proposed near Brisbane Airport would be turned into an evacuation shelter during natural disasters once the pandemic is over.

But a peak medical body believes it will be needed to deal with Covid-19 for the foreseeable future.

The Federal Government spruiked its surprise offer to build a 1000-bed Covid-19 quarantine facility in Brisbane as a pragmatic response to the State Government’s calls for a dedicated facility.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham also defended the country’s hotel quarantine system as effective, despite challenges such as the more than two dozen instances of Covid-19 leaking into the community.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the offer to build a new hub at the Damascus Barracks in Pinkenba on Thursday, in a letter to the Premier that included a formal rejection of the State Government’s Toowoomba proposal.

The quarantine hub will be designed as self-contained cabins able to house families with young children together, and will be set up so mild Covid-19 cases can be cared for on-site.

The Damascus Barracks at Pinkenba

When the pandemic ends the facility will be used as an evacuation centre during natural disasters or to deal with future health crises, according to Senator Birmingham.

Acting Premier Steven Miles was still urging the Prime Minister to consider the state’s proposal to build a facility near Wellcamp Airport, even though it goes against national guidelines.

Mr Miles said the state would look at the Damascus Barracks site but criticised the federal government’s proposal for containing little detail and needing a lot more work.

The Toowoomba facility was rejected because it is not near an airport that already takes commercial international passenger flights and is more than an hour and a half from a tertiary hospital equipped to deal with Covid-19 cases.

Australian Medical Association president Omar Korshid backed the Damascus Barracks proposal, warning Queensland’s Toowoomba plan would be a risk if people fell severely ill with Covid-19

“It’s important that quarantine facilities are near health facilities, because people get really sick with Covid and we have a duty of care to anybody coming in,” he said.

Dr Korshid said the AMA expected quarantine to be a reality for the foreseeable future.