Coronavirus: Melbourne quarantine hotels facing second wave of fear and loathing

Two Melbourne hotels are battling problems with security, infection control amid tensions between medical staff, police and officials.

Staff at the Grand Chancellor on Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, on Sunday, where safety concerns have been raised about quarantine protocols. Picture: Aaron Francis

Melbourne’s quarantine nightmare is not over, with fresh revelations that two hotels are battling major problems with security, infection control and tensions between medical staff, police and government officials.

Written complaints from staff seen by The Australian claim the fraught environment is compromising the mental health of some of the people isolating at the hotels.

A staff member has also detailed major concerns about the management by the Department of Health and Human Services of the Hotel Brady in Little LaTrobe Street and the Grand Chancellor in Lonsdale Street which are housing up to 200 guests at any given time.

“We are shocked at some language coming from DHHS team leaders when requests are made — ‘we don’t negotiate with terrorists’, ‘Well tell them they won’t be allowed any Uber Eats if they want that’ — it’s punitive and not right,” the source told The Australian.

The written complaints and comments from the staff member expose tensions between nurses seconded to the hotels and DHHS officials managing the program.

The hotel staff member said medical workers had serious concerns about the DHHS management of the hotels.

“There have been two additional breaches (Covid + guests leaving their rooms and roving into lobby areas, contaminating green zones and exposing staff) within a 24hr period of time,” a written complaint states.

“Staff have expressed burnout regarding the ongoing risk. Some hotel staff are refusing to work due to the risks. The hotel manager is concerned soon there will not be a hotel workforce at all as risks are known and not being addressed.”

Some of the guests isolating at two hotels are from poor backgrounds, and some have substance abuse and alcohol dependency issues.

Police decided on a “keeping the peace” approach to securing the hotels, The Australian understands, rather than a more conventional law enforcement approach because of the volatility of some of the guests. The fact some guests were there on a voluntary basis supported this ­approach, police believe.

Other written complaints from hotel staff detail a litany of security, infection-control and operational leadership problems.

The Victorian government failed to address specific questions about staff complaints, simply stating: “The quarantine hotel ­inquiry has been established at arm’s length from government to examine all issues relating to hotel quarantine. We will let the inquiry do its work.”

The problems in hotel quarantine come two months after the bungled international traveller program, which housed 20,000 people in city hotels, was axed.

The Hotel Brady in Little LaTrobe Street, Melbourne. Picture: Aaron Francis

Former judge Jennifer Coate has been appointed by the Victorian government to investigate the fiasco, suspected of fuelling Victoria’s second wave, which has claimed 209 lives since July.

The hotel staff member has urged Ms Coate to broaden her investigation to cover the ongoing domestic hotel program at the Brady and the Grand Chancellor. The terms of reference do not preclude her from doing so.

The revelations represent a fresh crisis for the government’s hotel quarantine program.

Staff members have claimed when Victoria Police took over ­security, they removed floor monitors from every level. “Guests would roam from their rooms and into staffed areas without warning, exposing staff to COVID,” the staff member said. “It also posed a risk to guests, as floor monitors can alert nursing staff if someone calls for help due to illness, or are locked out of their rooms.

“Nursing, security and hotel staff raised this risk every day at meetings. Incidents of ‘roaming breeches’ increased. This was a significantly tense and distressing time for staff. We were told repeatedly the issue had been escalated, but we never heard the feedback. Floors were unmonitored for over a week. Hotel staff threatened to stop working as they were frightened. While this issue had been ­escalated to ‘higher-ups’, nursing staff provided a sound rationale as to why floor monitors are an integral part of guest safety and welfare, staff safety and containing and preventing another outbreak.

“We suggested until DHHS had made a decision on the issue, the safest practice would be to ­reinstate … floor monitors. This was put in many incident reports sent to Alfred Health and DHHS incident reports.” Floor monitors have now been reinstated, The Australian understands.

The staff member said the DHHS had refused simple requests on behalf of guests, including for bottled water.

“And they’ve banned allowing family and friends to cook and drop off food for guests due to food safety concerns, despite Uber Eats bags being left in the lobby for hours until staff are available to send it up to the rooms.”

There was also concern among medical staff about some police officers. “They take too long to ­respond to violent behaviour … due to inexperience donning PPE. Nurses have been left managing behaviours of concerns frequently for 20-plus minutes after police presence has been requested, despite police being present on site.”

The staff member said a lack of decision-making authority within the hotels delayed urgent treatment for guests in some cases.