Analysis: Absence of infection control education goes to the very heart of why the hotel quarantine program failed
The hotel quarantine inquiry uncovered evidence from one worker who spelled out the extent of his training before he started his first shift.
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It’s a scenario that belongs in an episode of Utopia – a public servant seconded across to the DHHS to work in COVID-19 quarantine hotels was given equity and diversity training, but no training in infection control.
Luke Ashford put his hand up to work for DHHS when it was seeking help to manage the hotel quarantine program.
He thought initially he was going to be helping Victoria Police out on doorknocks and enforcing self-isolation, but stuck with the job when he eventually learned he would be an authorised officer at quarantine hotels.
A former navy man with 12 years in the military, a current firefighter and a team leader with Parks Victoria, who is trained to use batons, pepper spray and handcuffs, Ashford is no back-office cardigan wearer.
But he quit the DHHS job after just a month because he felt it was too dangerous to continue due to poor infection control, chaotic decision-making, and his belief that the DHHS was unable to provide a safe working environment.
The hotel quarantine inquiry has heard a fourth day of evidence from those at the coalface of the inquiry – detained travellers, security guards, and Mr Ashford, who spelled out the extent of his training before he started his first shift.
An hour’s online learning on how to use the authorised officers app, an hour of equity and diversity training, a 10-minute handover from a colleague, and reading a list of overarching procedures watermarked “draft’’ – despite him getting involved almost two months after the program had started.
His training might have allowed a senior manager to tick their key performance indicator box on diversity training, but the lack of infection control education goes to the very heart of why the quarantine program failed so catastrophically, killing more than 370 people, infecting more than 15,000 and destroying the economy.
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