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- Three people in Western Australia are in hotel quarantine following breaches in personal protective equipment during the care of an elderly COVID-19 patient
- The woman in her 80s had arrived on December 2 and completed her required quarantine period before being transported to hospital on Tuesday
- However, a nurse who attended to the woman and an ambulance driver failed to wear the necessary protective equipment when caring for her
- An airport worker was also found to have not taken the safety measures, and all three are in hotel quarantine
- The elderly woman is currently in hospital where she will undergo further genomic testing to potentially identify the new variant of COVID-19
Three people in Western Australia are in hotel quarantine following breaches in personal protective equipment during the care of an elderly COVID-19 patient from the U.K.
The woman in her 80s had arrived on December 2 and completed her required quarantine period before being transported to hospital on Tuesday.
However, a nurse who attended to the lady in hotel quarantine and an ambulance driver who transported her to hospital did not wear the appropriate protective equipment during her care.
An airport worker who helped the lady disembark her flight was also found to have not worn the necessary equipment, and all three are currently in hotel quarantine.
“These breaches are inexcusable and we’re very disappointed,” said Dr James Williamson, the WA Department of Health’s acting director general.
“The health and wellbeing of the WA community is the number one priority for the state and there’s no room for complacency in the fight against COVID-19.”
The elderly woman is currently in hospital where she will undergo further genomic testing to potentially identify the new variant of COVID-19 that originated in the U.K. This strain had previously been identified in three other international arrivals.
“No breach is acceptable. I also want to emphasise these breaches have not caused a direct risk to the public,” Dr Williamson continued. “I believe it is a wake up call for the health system.”
The Department of Health also praised a hotel security guard who noticed the ambulance officer without the required equipment and alerted authorities.
