Senior police official blasts Queensland Health for “debacle”
A senior Queensland Police Union executive has blasted Queensland Health for leaving quarantined officers in the dark about when they will be tested for COVID-19.
QLD News
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A SENIOR Queensland Police Union executive has blasted Queensland Health for an “absolute debacle” for not telling officers in quarantine when or how they will be tested for COVID-19.
QPU vice president Shane Prior spoke of his outrage this afternoon after more than 70 officers were forced into quarantine following the Grand Chancellor cluster.
“An absolute debacle from QHealth,” Mr Prior wrote.
“Police can’t get out of quarantine without a negative test yet QHealth can’t tell us when or how or where a test can occur? Just ridiculous.
“If QHealth can’t manage this with just a few genuine cases, and over 70 police in isolation, God help us all if this strain gets out.
“Queensland will make the UK & the USA look competent.”
Mr Prior said the he wanted to acknowledge police officers in the service and State Police Operations Centre who had worked tirelessly to help resolve the issue.
“We know it’s not your fault and you’re just as frustrated as us,” Mr Prior wrote.
“We acknowledge the great work of the CoP (Commissioner of Police) and the CHO (chief health officer) who are trying to sort this out with the QHealth bureaucracy and are probably just as frustrated as us however frustration doesn’t help out our first responders doing the hard yards!!!
“If the CoP and the CHO can’t get QHealth to simply do their job what hope do any of us have?!?!
“Luckily this isn’t an actual outbreak as this has proved QHealth just aren’t up to the task.”
A Queensland Health spokeswoman said all patients including people who had gone into quarantine because of their work received tests based on standard public health protocols.
“Just as we have with numerous QPS officers who have needed to go into quarantine because of potential exposure to COVID, we will continue to work with QPS so any officers currently in quarantine can be released on Day 14,” she said in a statement.
It’s understood police began getting phone calls from health officials around the same time a request for comment was made.
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