A second Melbourne hotel worker’s positive COVID-19 result has sparked a series of changes to Victoria’s quarantine program after two cases seeped out of the “robust” system in just four days.
The new case, a female authorised officer aged in her early 50s, worked at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport.
The woman’s case is the third infection to seep out of the state’s hotel quarantine system, as a 26-year-old resident support officer who worked inside the Grand Hyatt also tested positive to the virus last Wednesday.
A second Melbourne hotel worker’s positive COVID-19 result has sparked a series of changes to Victoria’s quarantine program after two cases seeped out of the “robust” system in just four days.
More than 11,000 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours and there are 20 active cases in the state.
The woman, who the government said is an authorised officer, was responsible for issuing detention notices to international arrivals, as well as moving cases to a health hotel and overseeing travellers exiting the program.
The worker tested negative to COVID-19 last Wednesday and Thursday, before returning to work yesterday.
She tested positive last night after developing symptoms.
Police Minister Lisa Neville, who heads the state’s hotel quarantine program, on Monday said no breach in infection protocols had been identified at this stage, but investigations were underway.
“We’ll obviously continue to interview this individual about their activity,” she said.
“Also checking rosters and checking her movement through the hotel whether there was any engagement with anyone who was positive.
“But at this stage, again, there doesn’t appear to be any breaches of infection prevention control procedures.”
