COVID-19 screening upon arrival into Tasmania being performed by airport workers

Airport employees who have lost work due to the pandemic have been retrained as ‘health screeners’ at Tasmania’s borders, as others question why medical staff aren’t doing the testing.

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AIRPORT workers who have lost work through the pandemic are being used to COVID screen new arrivals into the state.

In a move aimed at mitigating the risk of coronavirus entering Tasmania, the state government this month began a screening process, including temperature checks, for all arrivals at Tasmania’s air and sea ports.

Several Hobart Airport employees who have seen a drop in work since the pandemic broke out have been appointed as airport “health screeners”.

Under the screening process, anyone with symptoms would be requested to undergo a COVID-19 test and directed to quarantine.

A Hobart Airport worker, who isn’t involved in the screening work, questioned why medical professionals weren’t assigned the task.

“It frightens me,” the worker, who wished to remain anonymous, said.

“It’s not good enough that people coming here from the mainland are being screened by inexperienced people.

“It seems like it’s all about maintaining a budget and less about overall safety.”

Authorities said the makeshift “health screeners” had undergone required training and said nurses were present at the airport.

“Nurses are there to review any person who records a temperature of 37.5C or greater as part of the screening process,” a Department of Health spokesman said.

“Health screeners are fully trained in the procedures necessary to assist people in providing accurate health information as part of their arrival as well as taking a person’s temperature.”

Health Minister Sarah Courtney has said the screening process would remain in Tasmania as long as the COVID threat looms.

“That’s my expectation,’’ she said.

“We want to make sure that we’re implementing measures to keep Tasmanians safe and we know that while we do have quarantine provisions at the moment — we’re working towards our borders being reopened at the beginning of December — and so having these extra provisions will help keep Tasmanians safe.”

The Hobart Airport was contacted for comment.