The state controller responsible for leading Victoria's pandemic response has told the COVID-19 Hotel Quarantine Inquiry he did not believe outbreaks at hotels would have been avoided if ADF personnel were used instead of private security guards.He says using ADF officers or police may have intimidated themGenomic data has revealed outbreaks at the
Rydges and Stamford Plaza hotels were responsible for more than 99 per cent of Victoria's second wave of infectionsJason Helps, the state agency commander for the Department of Health and Human Services , told the inquiry his role was to lead and coordinate the public health decision-making, but denied he was in control of the response."I'm not sure we can be certain having them in the program wouldn't have contributed to other issues we experienced," Mr Helps said.
Mr Helps told the inquiry he was not aware of any specific offers of ADF support to secure the quarantine hotels.Andrea Spiteri, who shared the state controller role with Mr Helps, told the inquiry that a continuous police presence in the hotels could have helped.Victoria's road to recovery
I’m never staying at this hotel
We’ll never fucking know now will we
Hope the term ‘bollocks’ applies to this evidence in the report.
I’m fairly confident they wouldn’t have screwed those “guests” in quarantine. Minor detail I suppose🤦♂️
Using the hotel quarantine system may have made no difference to self isolation at home. 14 days are way too much, please update your covid response in Aus 🙃
Exactly, it’s not the uniform, it’s the humans that transport the virus. Decisions were made, some good, some not so good. Look, listen, learn, amend strategy and move on.
Said Jason Helps, one of the people responsible for the complete debacle of Vic hotel quarantine. What could his motivation possibly be for saying that...?
Finally some common sense
What makes us think soldiers are more trustworthy than security guards?
How did Peter Dutton get infected in a hotel in USA? As per above claims, virus spreads via security guards in a botched hotel? It’s a pandemic. it’s a virus.
It was reported that one of the security guards spread it to a housemate who worked in aged care.
Imagine the Herald Sun & 3AW will have this as lead news item - use of ADF may have made no difference.
Bollocks!!!!!!!
'🅼🅰🆈 🅷🅰🆅🅴 made no difference' - how is this statement even valid? Useless reporting again. TheirABC
No one with an IQ above 70 would believe that.
You seriously want people to believe that No other state has had an issue and they all used police/ADF! 🤦♀️
Fingers pointing towards failed contact tracing now. And they're still going to Blame ScoMo for it. Dan Andrews can do no wrong
What a shitshow of incompetency.
I would not take anything he says as being credible. Police are also 'intimidating' people every day, and that's OK.
On the other hand, it could have saved more than 700 lives and the livelihoods of a few million people. Given the effectiveness of hotel quarantine in the States where the ADF was involved, what do you think? COVID19Vic melbournelockdown2020 ResignDanielAndrews
How would you know, given they were not used, and had made a positive impact in other locations.
TimSmithMP GompertzKatie
Yet it seems to have made a difference everywhere else. Go figure.
🤦🏼♀️
I agree, private security worked in other states just not in Victoria. Obviously the private security companies the Victorians choose were ordinary. 😜
Well they will never, never know will they . 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
We can't change what happened. Victorians need reassurance before we do start receiving returning travellers from overseas once again. That we know who is in charge, that there is a trained, disciplined team taking care of proceedings. Overall a better job gets done
Might have made things better. Highly unlikely to have made things worse. Seems like a no brainer....except to those without brains.
The issue is why was there so limited government infection control training and supervision at these hotels?
🙄
Absolute rubbish, seemed to work fine in other states, or the government were professional or capable enough to manage it through other avenues.
Now that is just ridiculous.. of course it would have made a difference.. my little dog knows that !
His obviously a fuckwit.......no wonder quarantine hotels have killed over 700 alone in Victoria.
Qldaah Whatever happened to that rooting rooter? No not the ADF one, the alleged unsourced hearsay one.
Catch up. Dan is cooked. It just need to play out now.
Seemed to work better everywhere else
‘... may have intimidated travellers’. Since when are Aussies scared of OUR OWN DIGGERS... What?!
and yet it went so much better everywhere is was used. It's almost as if it made a difference.
Trained military personnel vs low brow rent-a-cops? Of course it wouldve made a difference
Danstanders will snap up this low hanging fruit.
Load of crock. ADF personnel have been deployed in NSW for 6 months and to my knowledge there have been Zero incidents of them having sexual relationship with quarantined people or delivering them drugs. I stand to be corrected...
Cmon ABC!!! We deserve better than this blatant protection of Andrews. What has happened is INDEFENSIBLE.
Is this The Onion or the Betoota Advocate reporting news now?
If ADF experience in Sydney this week tells us anything...
Then again it may have. The ADF are way much more competent & organised than untrained staff.
OLD HISTORY & a mistake!! The GOONS that were irresponsible !! NSW benefit!!The PNH's is the REAL reason our COVID no's went up!! Staff not staying at home after being tested & the areas of people refusing to be tested!! Some of these areas are STILL not being TESTED!!👎🤪😡👎
Would any of our ADF members have SLEPT with the quarantined people?
Wow... So it was better to let a second wave begin then to have actual law enforcement officers present. Thats ridiculous heads better freaking roll for that blunder 🤬
'He said the Army and police officers may have intimidated travellers.' Possible intimidation versus deaths of hundreds of people, mass unemployment, business closures, and lack of liberty should have been an obvious choice.
While we may never know what might have happened, I would argue that the ADF or Police would've been more likely to secure the quarantine hotels than those who fell asleep, allegedly slept with guests or didn't know how to operate PPE to protect themselves and their families.
I doubt very much any member of the ADF would've been sleeping on the floor, or allowing quarantined guests to sneak out. Not would they drive cabs or Ubers after a security shift.
Stupid anwser and not true
Bullshit.
Well he would say that wouldn't he.
!!
ScumMedia StopWastingMyTaxes DefundABC
Right like in the other states? Absolute rubbish. Criminal!
Might have made a difference to some 56 year-old women...
Someone from VIC Health (yes you Karen)should have been here monitoring the situation, or at least have a live feed sent to their home in BRYTON!
and ceded control of the state to the Fed Govt.
Correct. It's just political point-scoring from Scotty. The ADF do a marvellous job, but they are no more qualified in infection control than a security guard. It's worth also noting the volatility of Covid. Doc/Nurses who wear full PPE still get infected.
Really and why is that.
He would though wouldnt he? Not exactly worthy of a headline is it ABC?