Health department faces $95 million in fines over hotel quarantine
WorkSafe has laid charges against the Victorian state health department over quarantine failures that led to second COVID-19 wave
Victoria’s health department is facing more than $95 million in fines after it was charged over hotel quarantine failures that led to the state’s second wave of COVID-19.
After a 15-month investigation, WorkSafe on Wednesday charged the Department of Health with 58 breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
A filing hearing in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court is set for October 22.
In all charges, WorkSafe alleges that Department of Health employees, Victorian government staff on secondment and security guards were put at risk of serious illness or death through contracting COVID-19 from an infected traveller, colleague or from a contaminated surface.
