Melbourne hotel quarantine: Police replace private security guards

Police officers have replaced private security guards at one of Melbourne’s quarantine hotels after they were stood down over fresh concerns.

Private security guards have been stood down and replaced by police at one of Melbourne’s remaining quarantine hotels.

The security guards employed by Spotless were subcontracted as floor monitors at the Novotel at South Wharf to check and report potential breaches to police.

A Department of Justice and Community Safety spokeswoman confirmed to NCA NewsWire the Spotless staff were pulled from the “health hotel” site on Tuesday and replaced by police.

The move to replace them with police came after the State Government was alerted to a healthcare worker’s concerns that showed similar failings to the first quarantine program that rapidly spread to cause Victoria’s second coronavirus wave, The Age reported.

The justice department said the Spotless roles were always envisaged to be temporary and police already had a 24-hour presence at the sites since early July for resident supervision, which included roving checks of each floor.

Spotless were also engaged in other customer service roles at the quarantine hotels, including grocery bag and identification checks. Department of Justice and Community Safety staff will now complete those tasks.

The Novotel South Wharf lights its windows in a message to Melbourne to ‘Stay Home’ under stage 4 lockdown. Picture: Mark Stewart

The spokeswoman said measures were under way to increase training and infection control standards for the remaining Spotless cleaning staff.

On Tuesday the State Government confirmed nine staff working at two quarantine hotels in Melbourne had been infected with coronavirus since July when the program was overhauled and largely shut down.

Victoria’s program hasn’t taken any new arrivals – other than those with an exemption – since an inquiry was announced in June, but some hotels had been providing quarantine for vulnerable community members who cannot safely isolate at home.

The justice department now operates a “health hotel” at the Novotel for positive cases or close contacts and a quarantine hotel at the Park Royal for people at risk of testing positive and required to self-isolate.

Police watch on as a cleaner disinfects the front of a quarantine hotel. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

These hotels have still accepted overseas arrivals with exemptions since June – less than 100 – including health workers and maritime workers required to isolate.

The Grand Chancellor’s involvement in the program ceased last month, and the remaining guests at the Brady Hotel were transferred to the Novotel on Monday and Tuesday.

The program has been run by the Department of Justice and Community Safety and Alfred Health since it was overhauled.

Under the new model for COVID-19 Accommodation, the justice department said it was decided supervision and floor monitoring would be exclusively performed by Victoria Police and the role of Spotless was phased out up until Tuesday.

Of the nine infected staff since July, five were from Spotless, two were from Alfred Health, one was from Department of Health and Human Services and another was a Victoria Police officer, The Australian reported.

On Tuesday chief health officer Brett Sutton said he didn’t believe they were infected at the hotels, but the situation will be examined by Victoria’s hotel quarantine inquiry.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said police had been in the hotels for months since it was reset to provide security.

“This is a program that has been transitioned. It is a very different program to what it was,” Mr Andrews said on Thursday.

“It will potentially have to change again once we get to a point where we have international flights coming back.

“There are a series of different points at which the program is changing and evolving and I couldn’t say to you that is the last change, there is a program to transition.”

The Premier vigorously maintained that Spotless staff were not providing security despite the Department of Justice stating they had been performing a floor monitor role.

Alfred Health confirmed Spotless staff were not employed in security roles in hotel quarantine but had performed customer service and floor monitor roles until they were removed on Wednesday.

“As part of their induction process, Spotless staff undertake extensive PPE training prior to commencement of duties,” Alfred Health said in a statement.

“There have been no outbreaks of COVID-19 at hotels where Alfred Health has been involved, and we thank our staff who are working tirelessly in these changed environments to protect the community.”

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