Overview
- Victoria’s County Court convicted St Basil’s and imposed a $150,000 fine, with the judge finding the operator knew the risks but failed to ensure all safety measures were implemented.
- The breach centered on inadequate training and supervision between March 13 and July 12, 2020, with five employees not taught how to correctly don and doff PPE and no system to track who was trained.
- WorkSafe initially filed nine safety counts, but eight were withdrawn after St Basil’s pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to maintain a safe working environment, earning a $100,000 sentencing discount.
- The 2020 outbreak resulted in 45 resident deaths within about a month and infections in 45 staff, with the first case detected on July 9 and dozens more identified after testing by July 15.
- The judge noted the five-year legal process, intense media scrutiny, and subsequent system upgrades as mitigating factors; the offense carried a maximum penalty of up to $1.49 million, and the coronial inquest has since concluded as families pursue a potential class action.