Strata communities are becoming dangerously complacent in the face of highly transmissible new variants of the virus, according to a leading strata expert.
Lawyer, strata specialist and long-time friend of Flat Chat, Amanda Farmer, of Lawyers Chambers, said last week’s Melbourne outbreak at a Southbank unit complex was a wake-up call for all apartment dwellers to be on high alert.
At least six residents have been infected resulting in more than 200 residents now being tested and ordered to quarantine in their apartments for 14 days.
“Now is not the time to ease off on increased cleaning schedules and tough hygiene protocols that communities may have put in place this time last year” she said. “We’re hearing the transmission occurred in ‘common areas’ but this is a low-rise complex with limited shared facilities, so this must mean transmission in hallways and foyers.
“Perhaps we are seeing just how transmissible these newer variants of the virus really are. Every complex is at risk and without increased vigilance they put their surrounding communities at risk also.”
Earlier this week, the Owners Corporation Network claimed their questions to NSW Health about covid safety in strata schemes had not been addressed.
The health department responded that they were doing everything necessary to combat the spread of infections.
Ms Farmer, who hosts the Your Strata Property podcast, felt that apartment dwellers had become complacent since the initial concerns of last year. “Face-to face meetings are resuming, whereas last year meetings moved entirely online, and social distancing is not always practised in those meetings – especially when they are not chaired by a professional managing agent.”
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