Quarantine worker testing still voluntary despite assurances

Queenslanders were assured last month a process would be put in place to close a weakness in hotel quarantine. It still hasn’t happened.

Mandatory testing of hotel quarantine workers has yet to be implemented, despite Queenslanders being assured last month the process to close a weakness in the protection was to begin within days.

The news follows Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young warning on Thursday of an escalating risk to the state’s quarantine system, leading to drastic steps like stopping fresh air breaks for those isolating in hotels.

The weekly testing scheme was urged by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee on November 18 following the outbreak in South Australia, which led to a

three-day lockdown and temporary state border closures.

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Passengers arriving being escorted from the Brisbane International Airport to a nearby hotel quarantine. Picture: AAP Image/Josh Woning

Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly at the time said hotel quarantine was the biggest risk for new outbreaks in Australia.

The Courier-Mail can confirm that mandatory testing of workers in the hotels, including cleaners, police, defence and other hotel workers who may come into direct or indirect contact with people in quarantine, has yet to be finalised although a voluntary system is now in place.

Statistically, up to 38 returning travellers could test positive to COVID-19 in Queensland hotel quarantine before Christmas.

This is based on Federal transport department projections expecting 1300 international arrivals a week to come into Brisbane in the lead up to December 25, and DFAT deputy secretary Tony Sheehan having said about 1.3 per cent of returning Australians had tested positive to the virus.

But given there are currently only 20 active cases in Queensland it is likely the number would be much lower.

Australia's Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly (left) and Minister for Health Greg Hunt. Photo by Sam Mooy/Getty Images

Queensland Health had already been taking more precautions than many of the other states, including routinely moving positive COVID-19 cases out of hotels into hospital and it is understood work is continuing to implement the mandatory testing.

A spokesman for Queensland Health said there were robust measures in place to prevent transmission within hotel quarantine.

“We also have strong infection control measures in place, including local training for staff who work in our quarantine facilities,” he said.

“The risk in Queensland’s quarantine accommodation is lessened because we transfer positive COVID-19 cases detected in hotel quarantine to a hospital as soon as they test positive, rather than treating them in hotels.”

A spokesman for Health Minister Greg Hunt said the AHPPC recommended testing of quarantine workers every seven days.

“The Chief Health Officers of all states and territories, through the AHPPC, support routine testing for workers in quarantine,” he said.

“Each jurisdiction will consider their own arrangements for implementation of testing programs.”

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young says they are very cautious around hotel quarantine. Picture: Tara Croser.

Meanwhile, Dr Young said there were risk factors that had forced authorities to tighten up processes around hotel quarantine, including removing fresh air breaks.

“Every single day you would have heard we are seeing more cases occur in hotel quarantine which means we’ve had to tighten up our processes,” she said.

“We have seen breaches in hotel quarantine that have led to outbreaks in other states and I’m very, very cautious that I do everything possible working with police, who have been absolutely brilliant, to make sure that that doesn’t happen in Queensland.

“But unfortunately it is a risk, which is why we can’t totally return to normal in our everyday lives in Queensland.”

She said authorities were trying to access hotels with verandas and windows.

“Yesterday we had a case of a gentleman in hotel quarantine who tested negative on day four, so then was allowed to have a fresh air break, totally appropriately all done … then tested positive day 10, so we’ve had to go back and contact trace all of the people he came into contact with,” she said.

“Fortunately, as best as we can tell, there weren’t any breaches but it’s always a concern which is why we can’t have those fresh air breaks going forward.”

Dr Young said Queensland could “definitely” cope with the current numbers of international arrivals using the state’s quarantine system.