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Let me say in advance how much I don't want to be doing this. I am currently in the Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn on day 12 of hotel quarantine. I am here because of a family illness. It's an awful situation. But I feel I have speak up after these latest developments in Victoria.
There have been reports since last weekend that security staff are untrained in infection control and are unwittingly spreading COVID-19. We know the hotels are the source of much of this outbreak. Yet nothing has changed here, in fact it's gotten worse.
Here's what I've seen:
Here's what I've seen:
*Security guards without masks or gloves.
*Holiday Inn staff without masks or gloves.
*Guards lacking training on how to dispose of PPE (at one point I was asked by an unmasked supervisor to put used PPE into a guard's hands rather than the dedicated infectious waste bin).
*Holiday Inn staff without masks or gloves.
*Guards lacking training on how to dispose of PPE (at one point I was asked by an unmasked supervisor to put used PPE into a guard's hands rather than the dedicated infectious waste bin).
*Guard numbers have been cut in half from 4 per floor to 2.
*Staff members (not guards) have told me they are moving between different quarantine hotels for shifts.
*External guests are checking into the hotel and it is still bookable online: https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/find-hotels/hotel/rooms?qDest=10%20-%2014%20Centre%20Road,%20Melbourne,%20VIC,%20AU&qCiMy=62020&qCiD=4&qCoMy=62020&qCoD=11&qAdlt=1&qChld=0&qRms=1&qRtP=IKME2.6CBARC&qIta=99502222&qSlH=MELCR&qAkamaiCC=AU&qSrt=sBR&qBrs=re.ic.in.vn.cp.vx.hi.ex.rs.cv.sb.cw.ma.ul.ki.va.ii.sp.nd.ct&qAAR=IKME2&qWch=0&qSmP=1&setPMCookies=true&qRad=30&qRdU=mi&srb_u=1&qSHBrC=HI&icdv=99502222
*Staff members (not guards) have told me they are moving between different quarantine hotels for shifts.
*External guests are checking into the hotel and it is still bookable online: https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/find-hotels/hotel/rooms?qDest=10%20-%2014%20Centre%20Road,%20Melbourne,%20VIC,%20AU&qCiMy=62020&qCiD=4&qCoMy=62020&qCoD=11&qAdlt=1&qChld=0&qRms=1&qRtP=IKME2.6CBARC&qIta=99502222&qSlH=MELCR&qAkamaiCC=AU&qSrt=sBR&qBrs=re.ic.in.vn.cp.vx.hi.ex.rs.cv.sb.cw.ma.ul.ki.va.ii.sp.nd.ct&qAAR=IKME2&qWch=0&qSmP=1&setPMCookies=true&qRad=30&qRdU=mi&srb_u=1&qSHBrC=HI&icdv=99502222
*Fresh air breaks have been cancelled since last weekend. There are whole families with toddlers and babies in these rooms. The windows do not open. I am worried about the mental health consequences of this policy which contravenes the UN Mandela Rules: https://www.un.org/en/events/mandeladay/mandela_rules.shtml
It has been remarkable to watch the situation in here become less safe, not more, despite a constant stream of media stories about COVID-19 outbreaks that can be traced to quarantine hotel security, and despite the Premier's announcement of an inquiry.
We are being assured of a reset but a guard came to my door without a mask to hand me a delivery LAST NIGHT.
Meanwhile we're banned from going outside and when a fire alarm of unknown cause went off for 10 minutes yesterday, quarantined people were told to stay in our rooms.
Meanwhile we're banned from going outside and when a fire alarm of unknown cause went off for 10 minutes yesterday, quarantined people were told to stay in our rooms.
The virus is escaping because a public health measure was placed in the hands of for-profit contractors whose workers are not safe. Breaches are not guards' fault – they clearly have no support or training from their employers or the government.
Nothing is changing despite hard work of journos to expose what's going on, that's why I'm speaking about this. We need to get more health professionals in here, get quarantined people's fresh air breaks back, stop staff moving between sites, close down hotels to external guests.
I have not been speaking publicly because I am reliant on the DHHS for access to compassionate visits to be with my family and I haven't wanted to risk that. But they are locking down entire apartment buildings and yet nothing is being done here in quarantine. Fix it.
I'm glad this is getting attention. I just want to say that I'm not in a position to do media interviews about this outside some small commitments that I already have. It's a tough time for me right now and I'm trying to keep distraction to a minimum.
