Scott Emerson says it’s pure luck that a leak from Queensland’s hotel quarantine program hasn’t resulted in an outbreak of COVID-19 in the community.

The federal government has reached a deal with Queensland for a standalone quarantine facility at the Damascus Barracks in Pinkenba that could replace hotels.

It’s understood a feasibility study is underway.

“As our Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said, the current hotel quarantine system here in Queensland it is just not working,” Scott said.

There have been five leaks in the past two months.

“Given what we are seeing in Sydney at the moment and what has happened in Melbourne just recently and in the past, you have to accept that here in Queensland that it’s been good luck rather than just good management that there has not seen a similar outbreak here in Brisbane.”

He said it’s time to get moving on the Pinkenba proposal and it needs to be built, now.

“Nothing has happened. And every day we wait for the turf to be cut up, the ground to be moved, soil to be shifted .. is another day we potentially get closer to another leak from the hotel quarantine system here in Queensland and a leak that gets out into the community and then runs wild just like we have seen in NSW.

“We need some urgency.”

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