NSW Health orders Victor Dominello into isolation after incorrectly releasing him

A senior minister will go back into isolation after NSW Health admitted they incorrectly released him from quarantine.

Senior Minister Victor Dominello has been ordered back into isolation after NSW Health incorrectly released the ally of Premier Gladys Berejiklian from quarantine on Saturday.

Mr Dominello even appeared at a media conference alongside Gladys Berejiklian explaining his release just hours before the backflip.

The Daily Telegraph then sent a series of questions probing why multiple MPs who were seated further away from Covid-infected Adam Marshall remained in 14-day lock up, asking for an explanation for the inconsistency.

NSW health requested extra time to respond to the inquiry before issuing a public statement revealing they had made a mistake and ordered Mr Dominello back into quarantine.

The debacle threatens to undermine confidence in NSW Health which has ordered more than 5000 people into strict 14 day isolation as “close contacts”.

In a statement, NSW Health admitted to providing “incorrect advice” to the senior minister.

The backflip was in contrast to an explanation by Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant only hours earlier who said health officials had a complex matrix for their decisions.

Even Health Minister Brad Hazzard had bristled at questions about Mr Dominello’s classification, remarking it was “private”.

Before the backflip, NSW Health was criticised for “inconsistency”.

This photo is the first piece of visual evidence that gives weight to a private complaint that MPs have been making for a week - that some in NSW parliament have been given preferential treatment in avoiding isolation after coming into the orbit of Covid-infected Adam Marshall last Tuesday.

NSW Minister for Digital and Customer Service Victor Dominello at a press conference on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

Dr Kerry Chant gives a Covid update. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley

Mr Dominello sat just in front of Mr Marshall in a rowdy sitting of NSW parliament on Tuesday. On Saturday, his isolation status was lifted after advice from NSW Health officials.

However, The Daily Telegraph revealed a trio of independents, sitting further away from Mr Marshall and to Mr Dominello’s right, remained in isolation last night - Alex Greenwich, Joe McGirr and Greg Piper.

All confirmed they had been deemed “close contacts” based on footage from the NSW parliamentary chamber.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro slammed the decision to let Mr Dominello free as a “slap in the face” to the thousands of people in isolation in NSW.

“Victor was lucky he was reclassified. Others in the state won’t have that opportunity,” he said.

It comes after multiple Nationals ministers privately complained last week that Ms Berejiklian, Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet also avoided the “close contact” status despite briefly attending the Nationals’ dinner.

Mr Dominello separately confirmed that he had in fact had additional contact with Mr Marshall outside the chamber, when he visited his office “for about two minutes” on 3.30pm Tuesday.

“He spoke to one of my staff members he was around three metres away from me,” Mr Dominello said on Wednesday.

Mr Piper believed NSW Health should explain what appeared to be a “fairly clear inconsistency at face value”.

“It’s a question for (NSW) Health as to how they’re applying the standards,” he said.

Mr Piper said he wasn’t seeking to be downgraded.

“It’s imperative for us to have the same standards apply to us as we would expect of any other member of the community,” he said.

Mr McGirr said he was “not quibbling” about being in isolation but he believed it was “puzzling” that Mr Dominello had a separate ruling.

“Consistency is key,” he said, noting parliamentarians should model behaviour.

Mr McGirr added he believed parliamentarians should have been wearing masks and had a reduced presence in the chamber on Tuesday given there was clearly an outbreak in Sydney.

Mr Greenwich said he was following advice and isolating as directed.

Pressed on Wednesday on the classifications, Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said Parliament House was a “complex workplace site”.

“Our public health officials developed a risk framework that identified factors that would take into account their risk assessment,” she said.

“The other considerations were around face-to-face contact, the distance from them, the nature of that contact, whether it was front facing. Our public health team developed matrix and applied it, interviewed a number of people and also clarified it because people we reviewed CCTV footage, new information came to light.

“It was done by the public health practitioners. And there is going to be people that for one side of the line or the other and we have to draw the line somewhere.”

Mr Dominello’s appearance inflamed tensions among those who thought different standards were being applied.

“If Gladys needs you, you’re taken out (of isolation),” one Nationals source said.

In a statement last night, NSW Health explained Mr Dominello was deemed a casual contact in relation to his office meeting, but a close contact in relation to his time in the chamber.