Call for Health Minister Jenny Mikakos to be sacked over Melbourne quarantine hotels fallout

The Victorian Government is facing the heat over its “botched” quarantine hotels program with calls for the Health Minister to be sacked.

Victorian Liberal leader Michael O'Brien is calling on Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos to be sacked over the “botched” quarantine hotels program. Picture: James Ross

State Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien has called for Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos to be sacked over the State Government’s “botched” quarantine hotels program.

Mr O’Brien said heads “must roll, not in politics but in responsibility” after a security guard at Melbourne’s quarantine hotels was identified as the source of the city’s second coronavirus outbreak.

The saga is set to extend to a judicial inquiry with a report due on September 25.

At least 300,000 residents across 10 Melbourne suburbs have also been placed back into stage three lockdown restrictions.

“These are 300,000 people who should be able to go to work, to go out and enjoy the school holidays but can’t,” Mr O’Brien said.

“The Government decided to put in place poorly trained, unqualified private security guards to look after hotel quarantine and it was the wrong call – this hasn’t been a problem in any other state.”

A security guard, identified only as George, broke a gag order to appear on the Today show this morning where he revealed he received only five minutes of training before being tasked to one of Melbourne’s 15 quarantine hotels.

“And that was the PPE and everything, the box and dice and then we were sent up to your level,” he said.

His training was conducted by the head of the company’s carpark management, but George said the real problem was security companies hiring subcontractors to work at a much cheaper rate than regular guards.

“Every hotel quarantine has subcontracting happening, and that’s the way the companies are making money out of this,” he said.

When questioned if this was happening at Melbourne’s Stamford Plaza and Rydges hotels, George replied: “Definitely.”

He also said security guards were only given one face mask and one glove to use for an entire shift.

“These families (locked down) have done nothing wrong, they’ve obeyed the rules, but because of mistakes the Government has made they’re now paying the price,” Mr O’Brien went on to say on Thursday afternoon.

Ms Mikakos has been approached for comment.