Guard worked six shifts at quarantine hotel while infectious

Explosive new evidence given to the hotel quarantine inquiry has revealed a security guard who contracted coronavirus during the bungled scheme told an initial probe he did not have any paid work. But it was later discovered he worked six shifts at the Stamford while infectious.

A security guard who contracted coronavirus during the bungled hotel quarantine scheme earlier this year told an initial probe into his illness that he did not have any paid work.

But investigators later found the sick guard had done six shifts at the Stamford while infectious, including four with symptoms.

New evidence given to the hotel quarantine inquiry shows health authorities who were trying to clamp down on outbreaks were misled and struggled to trace cases.

A June 18 email from deputy chief health officer Annaliese Van Diemen to chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton suggests why the spread of the virus was so quick after jumping contagion lines.

The email says that only after getting “further” staff lists from the security firm in charge at the Stamford could authorities establish a connection with family clusters in Melbourne’s southeast.

The Stamford Plaza Hotel where the security worked.

“Further checks have determined that (name redacted) denied any paid employment and stated minimal contact outside of home duties on interview,” she says.

The email says the guard worked for six days while infectious, including four where symptoms were showing.

Getting information to trace contacts has been a challenge in Victoria in the second wave, but officials now say improvements have been made.

Yesterday, Prof Sutton said it was a matter of building “trust and rapport” with some communities, especially if they did not trust authorities.

Other documents tabled at the inquiry last week show further details of discussions between former federal chief medical officer Brendan Murphy and Victorian health officials after an offer of ADF troops in quarantine hotels was made in June.

Emails show Mr Murphy also suggested covering security guard wages to ensure they didn’t come to work, once infections were established as widespread.

Department of Health and Human Services director Pam Williams replied that “payment of staff for time off work at ordinary rates is not a small cost and there is no such thing as ordinary work in the security industry”.

But she said the department was hiring a “behavioural insights team” to improve the way security used protective equipment to enhance infection control.

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