Repatriation operation in South Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic: initial planning and preparedness

Authors

  • Sonali Meena Department of Health and Wellbeing, Government of South Australia
  • Joel Chan University of Adelaide
  • Tuong-Vi Phan Department of Health and Wellbeing, Government of South Australia
  • Samantha Butenko Communicable Disease Control Branch, Health Regulation and Protection, Department for Health and Wellbeing, Government of South Australia
  • Jenny Hurley Nursing and Midwifery Office, Clinical Collaborative, System Leadership and Design, SA Health, Government of South Australia
  • Paul McGowen State Control Centre, Department of Health and Wellbeing, Government of South Australia
  • Emily Kirkpatrick Department of Health and Wellbeing, Government of South Australia
  • Lisa Upton Communicable Disease Control Branch, Health Regulation and Protection, Department for Health and Wellbeing, Government of South Australia
  • Razlyn Abdul Rahim Communicable Disease Control Branch, Health Regulation and Protection, Department for Health and Wellbeing, Government of South Australia
  • Matthew McConnell Rural Support Service, Regional Local Health Networks, Government of South Australia
  • Robert Hall Communicable Disease Control Branch, Health Regulation and Protection, Department for Health and Wellbeing, Government of South Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2021.45.29

Keywords:

COVID-19, hotel quarantine, infection control, isolation, Medi-Hotel, operational planning, pandemic, quarantine, repatriation, South Australia

Abstract

With COVID-19 affecting millions of people around the globe, quarantine of international arrivals is a critical public health measure to prevent further disease transmission in local populations. This measure has also been applied in the repatriation of citizens, undertaken by several countries as an ethical obligation and legal responsibility. This article describes the process of planning and preparing for the repatriation operation in South Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interagency collaboration, development of a COVID-19 testing and quarantining protocol, implementing infection prevention and control, and building a specialised health care delivery model were essential aspects of the repatriation operational planning, with a focus on maintaining dignity and wellbeing of the passengers as well as on effective prevention of COVID-19 transmission. From April 2020 to mid-February 2021, more than 14,000 international arrivals travellers have been repatriated under the South Australian repatriation operations. This paper has implications to inform ongoing repatriation efforts in Australia and overseas in a pandemic situation.

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Published

27/05/21

How to Cite

Meena, Sonali, Joel Chan, Tuong-Vi Phan, Samantha Butenko, Jenny Hurley, Paul McGowen, Emily Kirkpatrick, et al. 2021. “ Repatriation Operation in South Australia During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Initial Planning and Preparedness ”. Communicable Diseases Intelligence 45 (May). https://doi.org/10.33321/cdi.2021.45.29.

Issue

Vol. 45 (2021)

Section

Original article

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