Covid 19 coronavirus: Victorian government considering GPS trackers for overseas travellers

Victoria are considering using GPS trackers on new arrivals to the region. Photo / File

In Australia, the Victorian government is reportedly considering using GPS trackers to help monitor returned travellers when the state starts accepting international flights again.

The electronic monitoring devices would be used to make sure some overseas travellers were isolating at home when they returned to Australia, The Age reports.

A senior Health Department official and a government spokeswoman told the newspaper that talks were underway in both Victoria's Justice and Health departments to assess the merits of GPS tracking wristbands.

It's not expected that the trackers will replace hotel quarantine programme entirely with talks underway with arrangements being made to restart the programme.

The Age reported that Premier Daniel Andrews was personally involved in the discussions as Victoria comes under pressure to start accepting travellers from overseas again.

Victoria's hotel quarantine was overhauled and largely shut down in July when it was revealed it had seeded a second wave of coronavirus that has led to 20,000 infections and 800 deaths.

The state's programme hasn't taken any new overseas arrivals – other than those with an exemption such as health and maritime workers – since an inquiry was announced in June, but some hotels had been providing quarantine for vulnerable community members who cannot safely isolate at home.

It comes as the Hotel Quarantine Board of Inquiry chaired by retired judge Jennifer Coate prepares to hold an extraordinary sitting after emails emerged that had not been disclosed to the inquiry.

Coate will use Tuesday's sitting to outline her next steps, which could see the November 6 final report deadline pushed back.

The inquiry has already resulted in two senior state government figures resigning from their positions – Health Minister Jenny Mikakos and Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles.

The Age also reported Victorian officials were in talks with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, which was composed of all state and territory chief health officers and chaired by Australia's Chief Medical Officer, about using the GPS devices.

It comes after 65 travellers from New Zealand entered Victoria last week after a travel bubble opened without hotel quarantine requirements between the transtasman neighbours.

Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services has contacted 55 of the 65 travellers to make sure they were aware of the state's delicate coronavirus predicament.