Covid Australia: Inside Dan Andrews $200MILLION Victorian quarantine hub for unvaccinated travellers

Up to 1,000 unvaccinated international travellers will be able to stay in Daniel Andrew’s massive  $200million newly built quarantine hub.

The 22-hectare facility in Mickleham, in Melbourne’s north, will officially open on Monday, as Victoria’s embattled hotel quarantine program comes to an end.

Just 10 guests will arrive for their week-long stay on Monday with the hub opening up to full capacity in April.

There will be single, double and family-sized rooms on offer with three meals provided each day.

Up to 1,000 unvaccinated international travellers will be able to stay in Daniel Andrew’s $200million newly built quarantine hub in Melbourne’s north

The 22-hectare facility in Mickleham, in Melbourne’s north, will officially open on Monday, as Victoria’s embattled hotel quarantine program comes to an end

There will be single, double and family-sized rooms on offer with three meals provided each day

Police Minister Lisa Neville said the facility ‘would have been great in 2020’  but that it would be vital to how pandemics were managed in the state.

‘I think that this will be a resource that we will always look back on and say what a great investment from the Commonwealth and state government,’ she said.

‘Whether it’s the new variant or the next pandemic, we are ready now with a purpose built facility.’ 

A team of 30 police officers will man the hub at all times, with no private security on the grounds.

A staggering 500 CCTV cameras will also keep surveillance of the site which is so big it’s split into four ‘villages’.

Guests can use in-house devices like phones and ipads to order their meals

Guests will be allowed to go out onto their balconies but that’s as far as they can go

The site will focus on ventilation and in contrast to being confined in a hotel room at other quarantine facilities, guests will be able to get some fresh air on their balconies.

There will be 560 staff working at the facility and guests will have in-house food ordering devices as well as entertainment. 

Rooms are connected via footpaths instead of corridors – which allowed for virus transmission in hotels.

Staff will also wear specialised trackers which will allow them to track their movements if they caught the virus from a traveller. 

But the seven-day stay won’t be free with adults having to fork out $1,500. An extra $500 will be paid for a second adult and $250 per child over the age of three

The first batch of unvaccinated travellers will enter the quarantine hub on Monday

But the seven-day stay won’t be free with adults having to fork out $1,500. An extra $500 will be paid for a second adult and $250 per child over the age of three.

The hub will also be open to those who are Covid-positive but cannot isolate at home, such as healthcare workers. Additionally, it can be used in the event of a natural disaster.

The unveiling of the quarantine hub comes after Victoria saw another day of low Covid cases.

The state counted another 6,280 infections on Saturday and 20 deaths.

The latest figures come after Victorians and NSW residents spent the night dancing at nightclubs and other venues, following the easing of restrictions.  

Indoor dance floors reopened at 6pm on Friday, while density limits at hospitality and entertainment venues were scrapped.

QR code check-in requirements are no longer in place at retail venues or schools, but will remain in hospitality and entertainment settings.

Premier Andrews flagged more changes, with the health minister to consider easing rules around masks and working from home.

Mr Andrews said that update could come as early as next week.

The hub will also be open to those who are Covid-positive but cannot isolate at home, such as healthcare workers. It can also be used in the event of a natural disaster