Conflicting messages leave men in Covid-19 isolation limbo

A three-minute trip to Coles has landed a Melbourne couple in ongoing quarantine limbo, ­receiving a series of conflicting messages from Victoria’s health department.

Nick Corrigan and Cam Hawker at home. Picture: Aaron Francis

A three-minute trip to Coles has landed Melbourne couple Cam Hawker, 41, and Nick Corrigan, 33, in ongoing quarantine limbo, ­receiving a series of conflicting messages from Victoria’s health department regarding their isolation obligations.

The two are among at least a dozen people who say they have had frustrating interactions with the department since their visit to Coles Richmond Icon in Melbourne’s inner east on either Thursday July 15 or Friday July 16 coincided with that of a person who tested positive for Covid.

Many of them have ­either been told to isolate for a fortnight, despite being Tier 2 contacts, or have waited as long as nine days after the exposure period to receive any contact from the department, despite being classified as Tier 1.

The confusion came as Health Minister Martin Foley commended contact tracers for managing more than 20,000 primary close contacts, which has resulted in 11 locally acquired cases recorded on Monday having spent their entire infectious period in isolation.

Mr Foley said while Victoria was “on the right track” for an easing of lockdown from 11:59pm on Tuesday, no announcement would be made until Tuesday.

Mr Hawker and Mr Corrigan learnt they were close contacts for the Coles Richmond Icon exposure site when they received a text message from the health department on Monday, July 19.

Their brief visit had corresponded with a Tier 2 listing for the Coles the previous Thursday. In Victoria, Tier 2 close contacts are freed from home quarantine once they receive a negative test result, while Tier 1 close contacts must quarantine for 14 days.

The pair immediately got tested for coronavirus and woke on Tuesday July 20 to text messages telling them they were negative.

Having noticed the same supermarket was listed as a Tier 1 site on Friday July 16 — they day after their visit — Mr Hawker repeatedly tried to call the health department to double check this would have no impact on them.

His calls were either not taken or he was told to leave messages, none of which received a response.

On Saturday, they received a call from the department telling them they should still be isolating.

“I again called the Covid hotline,” Mr Hawker said, “and was told as Tier 2 exposures, we had fulfilled our ­obligations.”

Three hours later, they were in limbo again. “We got another call to say we should be in 14-day quarantine. I again explained the situation and (the caller) admitted we were linked to the Tier 2 date but … his supervisor had told him he must read me the 14 day script.”

As of Monday, they were still receiving text messages advising them of their 14-day quarantine obligations. “If we were Tier 1 contacts, we’d be more than willing to do the 14 days but we’ve been told we’re not,” Mr Hawker said.

Conversely, at least nine Tier 1 contacts who visited the Coles on the 16th waited nine days to receive contact from the department. Channel 7 journalist Kate Jones said despite checking in using the QR code, she had learnt of the exposure through local social media pages. Despite repeated calls to the department after she began isolating, she did not receive a call back until Sunday.