Coronavirus Australia hotel quarantine inquiry: Guards fired after ‘harassing’ female staff
Security guards at the hotel linked to 90 per cent of Victoria’s current virus cases were stood down after they ‘passed certain comments’ to female staff, inquiry hears.
The entire security team at the hotel linked to 90 per cent of Victoria’s current coronavirus cases was stood down after “inappropriate behaviour towards female hotel staff”.
The inquiry into the disastrous Melbourne hotel quarantine program also heard on Friday of security guards filching towels to nap in corridors, smoking in stairwells and allowing guests outside.
Rydges general manager Rosswyn Menezes told the inquiry that Elite Protection Services was stood down on May 11 after “instances of inappropriate behaviour towards female hotel staff by certain security guards”.
Under cross examination by counsel assisting Tony Neal QC, Mr Menezes said security guards at the quarantine hotel made “certain comments” to female staff members.
“I established some of the security guards were harassing a couple of my female staff members by passing certain comments and a few words,” he said.
Unified Security, which had subcontracted the work to Elite, sent its own guards to the Swanston Street hotel the next day.
A family of four, who stayed at Rydges in Swanston in mid-May, are genomically linked to 90 per cent of Victoria’s second-wave coronavirus cases, which have killed more than 470 people.
Mr Menezes said Rydges on Swanston continued to be involved in the hotel quarantine program, with the Victorian government extending the agreement last month.
“I am aware that on or around July 22, 2020, DHHS (on behalf of the state of Victoria) exercised the option to extend the second agreement, which expires in August 2020,” he said.
“The quarantine guests currently at the hotel are all scheduled to depart on or before August 27, 2020.”
Corrections Victoria is in charge of the hotel quarantine program, including quarantine enforcement.
Mr Menezes told the inquiry he was advised that anyone who was in the building for more than 30 minutes between May 18 and May 26 had to be tested for COVID-19, despite being told earlier by an onsite Department of Health and Human Services leader it wasn’t necessary. “I believe what we were advised at that point was: ‘You do not have to because you’re not a close contact’,” he said.
Mr Menezes said after he learnt there was an outbreak at the hotel, he observed on CCTV security guards eating and watching videos together in breach of social-distancing requirements, before forwarding notes to DHHS.
Crown Hotels executive general manager Shaun D’Cruz told the inquiry towels were being taken from a “back-of-house area” for the “purpose of taking naps in corridors”.
“They were not permitted to go into that area,” he said.
Mr D’Cruz said hotel staff discovered on May 4 that guards had been smoking in a stairwell of a vacated quarantine floor, causing damage to chairs and furnishings.
Noting another issue, Mr D’Cruz said guards congregated in the driveway, which he said “seemed to breach social-distancing rules”.
The inquiry heard hotel staff copped hostility from quarantining guests, many of whom were hungry and confused by their detention ordeal.
Four Points by Sheraton general manager Stephen Ferrigno told of one episode in which a shoeless quarantined guest with an askew mask walked into the lobby to inquire about fresh-air breaks.
He said CCTV footage showed the guest walking past a security guard sitting on the floor and engrossed in his phone.
“The guard is not wearing his mask, he is looking at his phone, he seems engaged in that process,” he said. “As the guest presses the call button to go down to the ground floor, the lift arrives, the guest enters the lift,” Mr Ferrigno said. “At that point the CCTV shows the guard looking up as doors close.”
He said security escorted the guest back to his room and he reported the incident to police. Ram Mandyan from Travelodge said he initially felt proud to be part of the quarantine program but this soured due to the hostility faced by staff and the lack of support given to the hotel.
“Realistically, this program could have worked with better communication (and) better structure,” he said.
The inquiry continues.
More Coverage
Miners’ blast to Treasurer: don’t waste our billions
Mining chiefs have accused Jim Chalmers of squandering surpluses they helped deliver and warned the budget will remain in deficit unless spending is reined-in and fiscal discipline applied.
Arrogant Big Super opts out of decency
Thousands of Rest Super members wrongly slugged for insurance have been told they need to get in contact if they don’t want to keep paying the fees turned on by ‘accident’ months ago.