Victoria's health minister knew about private security guards in hotel quarantine, but only after outbreaks

Victoria's health minister has for the first time admitted she knew private security guards were being used in the state's highly criticised hotel quarantine scheme, but only when outbreaks started to emerge two months after the program was established.

Appearing at the hotel quarantine inquiry, Jenny Mikakos said it was when numerous cases of COVID-19 were recorded at the Rydges on Swanston, in May, that she started to consider the role the security guards were playing.

But the minister insisted she was not consulted about how the quarantine scheme was set up, nor was she involved in the decision-making process.

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That is despite the Department of Human Health and Services (DHHS) being the lead government agency into the hotel quarantine program.

When asked whether she should have been consulted on such matters, the health minister said: "With the benefit of hindsight, it would have been desirable if I had been".

She said that in hindsight, she would not support the use of private security guards in hotel quarantine.

Ms Mikakos wrote in a statement that she not believe it was her department's role to ensure private security guards and other workers in the hotel program followed infection control measures such as wearing personal protective equipment.

Security guards working in the hotel quarantine scheme are behind 90 per cent of Victoria's second wave of coronavirus, having caught the virus there and then taking back to their communities.

But Victoria's premier has come to his minister's defence after a leading health union accused her of "breathtaking incompetence", while calling her to be sacked.

The Health Workers Union labelled Ms Mikakos as "clueless" claiming she did not understand her own portfolio, with Victorians paying the price through its second wave.

"All ministers are fully aware of the accountability for those matters that go on within their portfolio," Mr Andrews said today.

"If there are issues any of those groups have in the community, particularly health sector, want to address, we are more than happy to sit down and work with those issues.

"I have confidence in all of my ministers, or they wouldn't be in my government."

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