Coronavirus: Putting doctors in quarantine ‘unjustified’, lawyers believe

A public health order that forced medical experts to quarantine in Sydney hotels for 14 days was ‘unjustified’, experts have claimed.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant. Picture: AAP

A contentious public health order that forced medical experts to quarantine in Sydney hotels for 14 days was “unjustified”, experts have claimed.

The legal experts said the doctors, among the 33 that NSW police allege defied strict quarantine orders at the weekend, are being detained “arbitrarily” under potentially “false charges”.

At least 29 medical professionals remain under armed police guard in hotels across Sydney after they arrived from Santiago, Chile, on Friday and were served with a public health order that claimed their “behaviour” posed a “risk to public health”.

Two doctors who signed the order, Stephen Corbett and Laura Collie, reportedly had reservations about the document.

In an email sent to the detained medical professionals on March 28, a copy of which was viewed by The Australian, Dr Corbett conceded the risk that they were infected with COVID-19 while in Chile remained “low”.

The next day, without explanation, Dr Corbett signed a new order that said he was “satisfied on reasonable grounds” the group had been exposed to COVID-19.

Endocrinologist Shane Hamlin, who is in quarantine at the ­InterContinental Hotel in Sydney, said the order was “insulting and false’’.

“It’s just insulting to see two doctors sign off on a legal document that said I was a risk to public health,” Dr Hamlin told The Australian.

Many doctors among the 77 medical experts to arrive from Chile on Friday said the NSW Chief Health Officer, Kerry Chant, refused to discuss their case despite claims the order contained “falsehoods”.

Jenny Dowd, who was among the doctors to board a domestic flight on Saturday after being reassured she was allowed to do so, said the accusations contained in the public health orders were “outrageous”.

“The people stuck in the hotel (were) given new public health notices that have outrageous claims,” Dr Dowd said. Another doctor, Glen Lo, said he had complied with authorities’ directions at all times.

“How was my behaviour a risk to public health? I self-isolated in my pre-paid transit hotel, as directed by NSW police, and I did not leave the hotel,” he said.

Barrister Greg Barns said the doctors were denied an opportunity to explain why they were not a risk to the public after they returned from a health convention aboard the Roald Amundsen cruise ship off the coast of Chile.

“It’s a very serious finding and dangerously broad,” he said.

NSW Health and NSW police were contacted for comment.