Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek has accused the Morrison government of lagging behind on a plan to build federal quarantine facilities amid Victoria’s worsening COVID-19 crisis.

While the federal government is backing a plan to build a purpose-built quarantine facility in Victoria, Ms Plibersek said they’ve had a year to act.

“For more than a year the federal government has been told they should have federal quarantine facilities not in our CBDs, hotels aren’t hospitals,” she told Scott Emerson.

“They were advised by their health experts that they should be looking at federal quarantine facilities outside our capital cities, I don’t know what the hold up is.

“It’s great they are looking at one in Victoria now, it’s really taken way too long.

“We have seen 21 escapes from our hotel quarantine system because they aren’t purpose built facilities

“Until the federal government gets quarantine right and the vaccination program really underway we are still going to see these problems like we’ve got in Victoria at the moment.”

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