A Victorian public servant in charge of infection control in hotel quarantine has been stood down after reports emerged they had breached protocols. There are also claims a swab in a corridor, not a nebuliser, was responsible for an outbreak this year.
The Australian they had been reported to authorities twice since March for breaching protocols. Minister for Government Services Danny Pearson, said that Matiu Bush, general manager of COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria's Infection Prevention and Control, had been stood down overnight "pending a review". Mr Bush allegedly defied a Defence Force request for a mandatory COVID-19 test and breaching infection-control protocols. It comes after a second report by The Australian revealed the Holiday Inn COVID-19 outbreak that sparked Victoria's third lockdown last year was allegedly caused by the "lengthy swabbing" of an unmasked woman in an open doorway. Health officials at the time declared the outbreak in the hotel had been caused by the use of a nebuliser in a room.
The report delivered in March said the virus leaked out into the corridor of the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport because a health worker took 'extended time' to test the woman for the virus.
Matiu Bush reported to have refused a coronavirus test after being onsite at a quarantine hotel, while separate report places doubt on nebuliser blame for third lockdown
Secret report found virus escaped from hotel after unmasked woman swabbed
Said health worker took 'extended time' to test woman for Covid-19 in corridor
Report said the virus then leaked into hallway of Melbourne Airport Holiday Inn
Contradicts claims by authorities a guest who used a nebuliser started outbreak
Led to snap five-day lockdown in February to control the spread of the outbreak