National Standard For Hotel Quarantine Needed

Since the Peppers Hotel COVID-19 leak in Adelaide in November, there have been over 16 hotel quarantine leaks in Australia’s major cities. In the past week, 6 Australians have caught the virus whilst in quarantine. Although some leaks have been minor, Melbourne’s second wave and the December Avalon cluster are reminders of how big these leaks can grow. So what’s going wrong?

Currently, there is no national standard for hotel quarantine systems. Many hotels have not updated their procedures and protection since evidence of airborne transmission arose earlier this year, and may only test people twice during their stay. Currently, South Australia and Victoria have the most thorough procedures, including hotel ventilation audits, 3-4 tests per quarantine stay, and mandatory respirators and face shields for staff.

Hotel quarantine will likely need to continue for a few more years, and will remain our first line of defence. As a result we need to improve our systems – implementing nationwide standards in current quarantine hotels, and transitioning quarantine out of major cities. The Howards Springs facility has been a major success story, housing over 750 people with 0 leaks.

The CPAP Clinic is a leading Australian provider of Respiratory, Sleep Disorders, Cardiology and PPE services and products. Based in Sydney, it has a network of 40 clinics nationwide.