800 Deaths – Cannot be forgotten or ignored
December 2020
On the 27 March 2020 the Victorian government started its Covid-19 hotel quarantine program. The program was a management disaster. This lead directly to Covid-19 breaking out across Victoria resulting in 800 deaths.
The Victorian work safety laws require prosecution of any person or body that conducts unsafe practices. This applies to the private and government sectors. The Victorian government must be prosecuted under these laws.
Self-Employed Australia is conducting a campaign to push the Victorian WorkSafe Authority to do its job and prosecute the Victorian government. This page gives links to our campaign activity as well as information and facts on why, at law, prosecutions should occur.
Step One: Explanation of: (posted 29 September 2020)
- Legal duties of Vic govt under work safety laws
- We trigger the law requiring WorkSafe to prosecute (section 131 of the Act)
WorkSafe is required at law to update us on its prosecution/investigation within 3 months.
Step Three: We ask for unions to be investigated in relation to private security selection. (27 September 2020)
Evidence of union involvement in private security selection
Step Four: We engage with WorkSafe on evidence on why there should be prosecutions.
- WorkSafe’s letter to us (17 Dec 2020).
- Our letter to WorkSafe (18 Dec 2020).
Step Five: We ask WorkSafe for details of its investigation processes. For example, our letter (4 January 2021) asks how many witnesses have been contacted, interviewed and statements taken?
Key fact A: We explain how the work safety laws apply to the Victorian government over the failed quarantine.
Key Fact B: We explain why the Covid pandemic was not unprecedented and was fully expected and planned for, BUT the Victorian government forgot(?) to do a hotel quarantine plan!
Key Fact C: Hotel quarantine plans were internationally available. The Victorian government had no excuse for not having a plan. For example, the Hong Kong health authorities had detailed hotel quarantine plans from at least 2007.
- Guidelines on Infection Control &Prevention In Hotel Industry.
- Health Advice for Hotel Industry on serving guests with history of travel to or resided in the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) affected areas.
- Preventing Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Guidelines for Hotels.
- The role of the hotel industry in the response to emerging epidemics: a case study of SARS in 2003 and H1N1 swine flu in 2009 in Hong Kong.
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