Coronavirus Victoria: Man with nebuliser hits back at Daniel Andrews

The man in hotel quarantine who used a nebuliser believed to have sparked Victoria’s COVID-19 outbreak has taken aim at Dan Andrews.

The man who used a nebuliser in hotel quarantine – a mistake believed to have sparked the state’s COVID-19 outbreak – says no one from the government reached out to him to get his side of the story.

Conflicting media reports emerged on Saturday after a 38-year-old returned traveller told The Age he had twice been given permission to use the nebuliser for asthma while in quarantine at the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport.

The man eventually tested positive to COVID-19, and health officials believe fragments of the virus escaped from his room due to the nebuliser, sparking a cluster that has since grown to 17.

However, COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria (CQV) head Emma Cassar said there was no history of a declaration that a nebuliser had been taken into the Holiday Inn by a returned traveller.

“I can categorically say that there is no evidence in our audit that he had raised this with our health team or our operational team,” Ms Cassar told reporters on Saturday.

The asthmatic returned traveller said he had been left feeling like a criminal after reading media reports about the outbreak.

The man said chief health officer Brett Sutton had been in touch. Picture: Wayne Taylor/Getty Images

Radio 3AW reported on Monday that the man wanted an apology from Premier Daniel Andrews and that no one from the government, except chief health officer Brett Sutton, had contacted him.

A message was then played from the man, who using a disguised voice said he was surprised no one contacted him to get his side of the story.

“I’ve seen the comments from Dan Andrews where he said we have the gold standard in Victoria of hotel quarantine,” he said.

“I think what really surprises me is the fact that nobody really from the Andrews government has tried to reach out and get my side of this story and understand.

“I expected the gold standard that you’d be trying to get facts from every single source, not just your own sources.

An empty Melbourne street during lockdown. Picture: Wayne Taylor/Getty Images

“At the end of the day I really hope that the government can reach out to a lot more people that have gone through the hotel quarantine program and continues to try and improve it so that more people can return to Australia in a safe manner.”
Ms Cassar on Saturday said the man had “done nothing wrong” and she felt bad for the stress the situation had caused him.

“He’s not lying; we’re not making those accusations,” she said. “(But) there is no evidence form our audits that he raised this,” she said.

She said returned travellers were asked to declare medical equipment upon arrival at hotel quarantine but hotel staff were not permitted to check bags.

“It’s a really regrettable incident … we have made steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Ms Cassar said.

Questioned on Monday, Premier Daniel Andrews said he had nothing further to add beyond what Ms Cassar’s comments.

“This person is receiving the very best of care in a Victorian public hospital. I wish him well and I hope his recovery is complete and as fast as possible,” he told reporters.

“I’m sure that a number of people will have spoken with him about all manner of things, he is a positive case. I certainly haven’t spoken to him and I’m not interested in having a debate about these matters. I have nothing to add beyond that.”