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Sex with coronavirus victims, all night parties & guards hired on Whatsapp – how Melbourne’s quarantine sparked outbreak
SEX with coronavirus victims, all night parties and poorly trained guards hired on WhatsApp may have led to a fresh outbreak of Covid-19 in Melbourne.
The Australian city has entered a new lockdown as five million residents were banned for leaving their homes for six weeks to stop the virus.
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Security guard Shayla Shakshi has now lifted the lid on how Melbourne's botched hotel coronavirus quarantine scheme may have led to the outbreak.
Australian officials have already launched a probe into the allegations that cases could be linked to an "infection control breach" at the hotels - including sex with infected victims.
It is also claimed guests were allowed to go between rooms, socialise, play cards and have all night parties.
ABC's chief political correspondent Laura Tingle described the virus escape as a "few security guards having a good time".
Hotels were commandeered across the country for international arrivals to quarantine for two weeks - but Shayla has said the virus was treated as a "joke".
She said: "I just knew something would happen because it's just like guards were hitting each other. They were hugging each other. They were touching each other.
"They weren't actually serious about how serious this COVID is.
"They were taking it as a joke. Like, 'It's just some virus that anyone can get. We're not going to get it'."
She claims she was recruited via WhatsApp to work at the five star Stamford Plaza in May and didn't receive an training about handling the quarantine.
The hotel is at the centre of the scandal after one guard tested positive, followed by a cluster of 31 cases being detected.
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Shayla told ABC’s 7.30 she was even asked to bring in her own personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks and hand sanister.
She said it was her "first and last" shift and the only information she was given was her pay rate and what clothes to wear.
Victoria recorded 374 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday as a second wave begins to surge - with 22 deaths since July 1 and 3,147 active cases.
Another guard, named only as Sam, told 9News that colleagues would share lifts with groups of travellers and escort them out for exercises.
The guards would then simply go into the community - including going to 7-Eleven, McDonalds and KFC on their breaks.
Sam said: "We were trying to control the virus, but the way they have done everything, I think we were spreading the virus, not controlling the virus."
He also claims he was told not to get tested in case he wouldn't be allowed to work.
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Retired judge Jennifer Coate is now leading an inquiry into the botched hotel quarantine program.
"I expect no less than full, frank and timely cooperation from all government entities and persons to enable me to do my job for the people of Victoria," she said.
Senior counsel Tony Neal QC said: "Information already available to the inquiry suggests the possibility of a link between many of the cases of coronavirus identified in the Victorian community in the past few weeks and persons who were quarantined under the hotel quarantine program.
"Comments made by the chief health officer to the media have suggested that it may even be that every case of COVID-19 in Victoria in recent weeks could be sourced to the hotel quarantine program."
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Government agencies, hotel operators and private contractors have all been ordered to provide submissions by the end of July.
Hotels were not responsible for selecting the guards or ensured they obtained training.
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Stamford Plaza has been placed on notice, along with Travelodge Melbourne, Park Royal Hotel Melbourne Airport, Holiday Inn Melbourne, Four Points Sheraton and Rydges on Swanston.
Australian health minister Greg Hunt encouraged Victorian authorities to "throw the book" at anyone who behaved improperly in quarantine.
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