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Victoria records first overseas COVID case in new hotel quarantine system

Melbourne's hotel quarantine program started accepting international arrivals again on Thursday.

Melbourne's hotel quarantine program started accepting international arrivals again on Thursday. Photo: ABC News

Victoria has recorded one new overseas-acquired coronavirus case in hotel quarantine since yesterday.

The infection is the first one recorded in the state since Melbourne started accepting international flights again on Thursday.

No new COVID infections were recorded in the community, taking Victoria’s streak of no locally-acquired cases to 43 days.

The hotel quarantine program was shut down and overhauled in mid-February after the virus leaked out from a hotel and sparked a five-day lockdown.

Measures introduced in this overhaul include only rostering on hotel quarantine staff who have had at least the first COVID vaccine dose, and doubling the number of times arrivals get tested during their stay.

Previously, international arrivals were only tested for COVID twice during their two weeks in quarantine, but they will now be tested upon entering the program and on days four, 12 and 14.

More than 2,800 hotel quarantine staff members have also undergone N95 mask fit-testing and refresher training.

Data on the Victorian government website says 104 overseas arrivals are expected to land in the state today.

Yesterday, 4,810 vaccine doses were administered in Victoria, taking the total of jabs delivered in the state to 142,130.

-ABC

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