Victoria’s hotel quarantine program ‘needs to do the same but better’ moving forward

Victoria Deputy Chief Health Officer Professor Allen Cheng has detailed his review into variant COVID-19 strains and the state’s hotel quarantine system – highlighting an ongoing review system as a major focus moving forward. In relation to the threat of variant strains of the virus with the quarantine hotels, Professor Cheng said “it’s still the same virus and what it does mean is we just need to do the same things but better.” He pointed to vaccination of staff as an integral mode of protection within the program, which he said was “well underway.” “Hotels aren’t perfect for lots of different reasons, for not only the wellbeing of the people in them and for an infection control point of view, but it can at least be made safe and vaccination is obviously one big step towards this,” Professor Cheng told the media. “Our report was less focused on what those potential enhancements might be and more about the system that makes sure we review and monitor these things to make sure that as we learn things the protections and the system evolves with that.” He also flagged the Victorian government thought hotel quarantine would be necessary for a significant period into the future, however, it was not certain for whom it would be required. “It might be possible in the future to have home quarantine for vaccinated people, we just don’t know that at this stage but it is something we need to think about as time goes on,” Professor Cheng said.

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