Victoria 'lost, duplicated coronavirus cases' during second wave: Finkel
At the height of Victoria’s second wave coronavirus cases "were lost and duplication occurred" in a contact tracing system that was only prepared to manage low cases numbers of infectious diseases, Australia's chief scientist says.
Speaking on the second day of a parliamentary inquiry into the state's contact-tracing capabilities, Dr Alan Finkel said he was confident Victoria's new digitised contact tracing system will be completed before the end of the year.
"If you have a system that’s prepared for low cases of measles and other infectious diseases and then you’re hit by a pandemic with large numbers that are doubling every four or five days unless you are fully prepared for that … and supported by an appropriate technology base ... it’s easy to get overwhelmed," Dr Finkel said.
The scientist said it was impossible to determine whether the contact tracing systems in other states in Australia would have been overwhelmed like Victoria had they been hit with hundreds of new infections a day.
"It all comes to down preparation," the scientist said.
"There is no question Victoria's system was overwhelmed. But it’s very hard to be precise on that. Would another state collapse at 100 cases, per day sustained, per million?
"I know many of the states are training to deal with something like 50 cases per day per million without losing the ability to manage those cases. That’s not easy to do, but we do believe it is achievable."
Dr Finkel, who has conducted a review of the nation's contact tracing, also said Victoria should continue to aim for risk minimisation, rather elimination and avoid widespread lockdowns and "all their negative consequences".
"I have no doubt risk minimisation is the way to go. Risk minimisation is based on constant preparation, well-trained workforces and modern technology to prevent outbreaks before they occur," he said.
The Victorian parliamentary inquiry into contact tracing, which resumed on Wednesday, is due to hear evidence from a dozen witnesses including Cedar Meats owner Tony Kairouz.
Cedar Meats was a focal point during the panemic's early months after a number of its staff and their families were infected with coronavirus and it became largest coronavirus outbreak of the state's first wave. More than 110 people connected with the abattoir were infected in the outbreak.
The Age revealed last week that the Victorian Health Department allowed workers at the Cedar Meats abattoir to return to work while waiting on COVID-19 tests during contact tracing efforts in May.
In its submission to the inquiry the company described evidence given by former health minister Jenny Mikakos to another parliamentary inquiry in May as "factually incorrect".
Ms Mikakos told the committee the company took several days to hand over information about who visited the site.
Ms Mikakos, who resigned in September, wrote to Mr Kairouz in August explaining her evidence.
She acknowledged the company handed over timely information but said contact details were sometimes out of date or lacking full names, meaning the process took longer than anticipated and hampered contact tracing.
A Health Department spokeswoman said last week the department stood by the evidence it gave to the inquiry.
The Cedar Meats outbreak, which prompted a WorkSafe inquiry, put the spotlight on Victoria's contact tracing system during the first wave of COVID-19 infections. About 10 days after the abattoir was closed, the Andrews government announced a $20 million rapid-response team to handle high-risk outbreaks.
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Melissa Cunningham is The Age's health reporter.