Victoria's 'doughnut days' at risk after overseas arrival lands with symptoms - The Age

Victoria's extended run of virus-free "doughnut days" could come to an end this week after an overseas arrival landed in Melbourne on Monday showing symptoms of COVID-19 and was transferred to a "hot hotel".

The person was among 253 overseas arrivals who landed in Melbourne as the state's hotel quarantine system resumed on Monday and was the first suspected coronavirus case taken to the Novotel hotel in South Wharf.

Victoria recorded no new cases of the virus on Tuesday, bring the state's run of COVID-free days to 39. The latest virus-free day came after 7043 Victorians were tested for the virus on Monday.

Eight other international arrivals were transferred to the Novotel on Monday due to their complex health needs, but are not suspected of having the virus.

The Novotel will be used to house both positive and suspected cases of COVID-19, as well as overseas arrivals with complex health needs, while extra ventilation is installed at the city's second "hot hotel" - the Holiday Inn on Flinders.

There are multiple floors between the two cohorts, with separate workforces looking after them, the government says.

All other arrivals were transferred to the Pan Pacific hotel, also at South Wharf, or the Park Royal at Melbourne Airport.

Five international flights carrying about 155 passengers from Singapore, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and New Zealand are scheduled to arrive in Melbourne on Tuesday.

Doctors pushed back against state government demands that they work exclusively in the hotels to reduce the risk of COVID-19 seeping into the community, with some not given enough work within the revamped system to warrant quitting their existing employment.

The doctors contracted by Healthcare Australia will work in the nine hotels designated to house people who have not tested positive for the coronavirus.

with Paul Sakkal

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2020-12-07 21:05:00Z
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