Security in spotlight at NSW hotel
THE NSW Government has hired a security company embroiled in Melbourne’s coronavirus hotel quarantine fiasco to help guard a Sydney serviced apartment complex full of international arrivals in isolation.
News Corp can reveal Unified Security is supporting NSW Police at the 23-storey Adina Town Hall, where buses arrive daily carrying overseas travellers wearing masks or face shields plus protective overalls and shoe coverings.
A Unified spokesman last night downplayed the role of its guards – who earn as little as $19.84 an hour – after some were photographed watching their phones at the Adina.
“NSW Police have the full responsibility for the safe arrival and departure of guests into and out of the hotels,” the spokesman said.
The guards may have been on a break when they were photographed, he said, and to “suggest they have in some way neglected their duties or created risk to the community would be grossly unfair to that guard and potentially defamatory to the individual and the company”.
A NSW Police spokeswoman said it was the “operational lead” on quarantine, with about 200 officers stationed in hotels alongside security staff “who have been engaged to assist with the operation”.
“Police continuously conduct roving patrols to ensure the compliance of those in quarantine and to ensure the integrity of the operation is maintained,” the spokeswoman said. “All reports of alleged noncompliance or poor performance (by security companies) will continue to be investigated and action will be taken.”
In recent weeks up to 90 per cent of all confirmed new cases of coronavirus in the state have been in hotel quarantine, NSW Health data shows. A lack of training for guards has been cited as a factor in Melbourne’s outbreak, which has since triggered clusters in NSW.