The government will shut down Victoria’s purpose-built COVID quarantine hub.
The hotel quarantine facility, which was built specifically for the purpose of housing travellers returning from overseas, frontline workers, and Victorian community members has seen a significant drop in numbers in recent weeks.
As a result, the state government has decided to close the facility, with all remaining guests to be transferred to other hotels.
The decision to close the facility comes as the number of COVID cases in Victoria continues to decline.
The Centre for National Resilience in Mickleham, which opened in February to house international travellers, frontline workers, and Victorian community members, housed just 2,168 residents.
This costs more than $267,000 for each resident during the quarantine hub’s life span.
The facility will close next week, with a few staff working to shut down the site until it is handed back to the federal government at the beginning of next year.
The usefulness of the facility will continue and it will be of use during future emergencies, said Police Minister Anthony Carbines, defending it.
“The Victorian Quarantine Hub has successfully kept Victorians safe from COVID-19,” Mr. Carbines said.
The closure of the quarantine facility is a further sign that Victoria is on track to return to normality following its successful response to the COVID pandemic.
The state has already eased a number of restrictions, including the reopening of businesses and schools, and is due to lift all restrictions.
