The Commission was told that people in detention were regularly offered consultations on vaccination and that all new arrivals were consulted. New arrivals at YHIDC were still required to enter a period of operational quarantine at the time of the inspection. The Commission was told that people were required to spend five days in quarantine and must test negative three times before joining the general population. One of the written submissions received prior to the inspection raised concerns with the use of High Care Accommodation (HCA) at YHIDC for quarantine, alleging that people are ‘reluctant to report COVID-19 symptoms as they do not wish to be placed in solitary confinement’. The CDNA guidelines support this assertion, stating that ‘[l]engthy and restrictive quarantine arrangements should be avoided as they have been shown to have unintended consequences, in that they discourage detainees to disclose themselves or others as close contacts’.90 At the time of the inspection, the Commission observed that two people were being quarantined in the High Care Accommodation (HCA) and, toward the end of the inspection, a group that had been transferred from detention facilities on the east coast was placed in the Eagle compound for operational quarantine. HCA contains a series of single-occupancy bedrooms with hard, fixed furniture. Bathrooms have stainless steel fittings and are located within the room and contain a toilet and shower, separated by partitions. The Commission observed that the HCA had limited natural lighting and the rooms are constantly monitored via CCTV. The HCA also contained small common areas with seating and basic kitchen and laundry facilities. The Commission was informed that people within the HCA are allowed out of their rooms every two hours for a smoke break. Non-smokers can also request time out of their room. Those within the HCA also come out of rooms for meals in the common area. The Commission acknowledges that quarantine— when undertaken appropriately, as a proportionate response to a specific, identified threat—can be justified in preventing COVID-19 in immigration detention facilities. However, as noted in its 2021 Management of COVID-19 risks in immigration detention review, ‘[t]he Commission considers that conditions in high-care accommodation units are prison‑like, harsh and highly restrictive, and unsuitable for quarantine’.91 RECOMMENDATION 26: The Department should cease the use of high-care accommodation at YHIDC for quarantine purposes and use alternative, less restrictive options for quarantine as it does for group transfers. Figure 11: HCA toilet with partition Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre Inspection Report • 2024 • 49