An outdoor hotel quarantine facility model in Australia: best practice with optimal outcomes

Abstract

Objective: To describe the operationalisation of a novel outdoor quarantine facility managed by the Australian Medical Assistance Team, the Howard Springs International Quarantine Facility (HSIQF) at the Centre for National Resilience in the Northern Territory, Australia. Methods: We collated documentation and data from HSIQF to describe policies and procedures implemented and performed a descriptive analysis of key procedures and outcomes. Results: From 23 October 2020 to 31 March 2021, 2.2% (129/5,987) of residents were confirmed COVD-19 cases. On average per day, 82 [Interquartile Range (IQR): 29-95] staff completed personal protective equipment (PPE) training, 94 [IQR: 90-104] staff completed antigen testing and 51 [IQR: 32-136] staff completed polymerase chain reaction testing. The operation focused on building a safe environment with infection prevention and control adherence and workforce sustainability. There was no leakage of SARS-CoV-2 to staff or the community and no PPE compromises requiring staff to quarantine for 14 days. Conclusion: HSIQF demonstrates the operationalisation of an effective, safe and replicable quarantine system. Implications for public health: Quarantine is a critical public health tool for pandemic control. The HSIQF operations may be useful to inform the establishment and management of quarantine facilities for future and current disease outbreaks.