Victorians who have COVID-19 and are in quarantine do not have to remain inside home

Victorians who are sent home to quarantine for 14 days after testing positive to COVID-19 are actually allowed to leave the house for one reason, it has been confirmed.

An exchange between a reporter and Victoria’s Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton has exposed a loophole that means Victorians who test positive to COVID-19 are not required to remain in their homes for 14 days.

The CHO was addressing the media on Tuesday about the 384 new cases overnight and the six new confirmed deaths — four of which were linked to aged care.

A reporter asked him to confirm the situation for those in quarantine who have tested positive to the virus.

“Those in quarantine because they have tested positive, are they allowed to leave for exercise?” she asked.

“They are, otherwise it is detention and we do not have detention for cases in Victoria. They are entitled to exercise within their home and their garden, ideally,” Professor Sutton responded.

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TUESDAY'S NUMBERS IN VIC:
▶️384 new cases
▶️Six deaths
▶️4775 active cases
▶️414 health workers infected
▶️769 aged care cases@newscomauHQ

— Rohan Smith (@Ro_Smith) July 28, 2020

The reporter followed up, commenting that the direction “would appear to go against what we have been hearing for months about what people should be doing in quarantine”.

But Prof Sutton said the advice had not changed and related only to people who have limited space in their home to exercise.

“People who have no garden and have no other option … have a right to exercise,” he said.

“So the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities is clear that if you are not giving people an option to exercise then you are effectively putting them in prison and that is not something that can be done for a case of coronavirus or for anyone else for that matter.”

Victoria's chief health officer Professor Brett Sutton confirms there’s a quarantine loophole. Picture: Getty Images

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said on Tuesday that six further deaths had been recorded and that there are now 4775 active cases.

Of those, 414 health workers have been infected and 769 aged care cases have been recorded.

The Premier again thanked health workers for their tireless contribution to the fight against coronavirus.

“It is the most important of work and we’re deeply grateful to you,” he said. “We often refer to those workers as heroes. This is very, very challenging work. I think they’re equal to it. And if you value them, if you recognise the work they do, their skill, their courage, their care, their compassion, wear a mask, follow the rules and we will not only honour them, but we will get to the other side of this quicker.”

During another difficult press conference, Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos choked up and had to take a lengthy pause to regain her composure while discussing the deaths of aged care home residents at St Basil’s in Fawkner.

“(St Basil’s) is close to many members of the Greek community and I know they have been distressed to see the rising toll of deaths at that facility. Sorry …” she said, holding back tears.

Almost 800 cases have now been linked to 61 aged-care centres, including 84 at St Basil’s