Konstantin Kontis and Vicky Kos, who were the most senior managers at St Basil's aged care home in July and August 2020, have been compelled to give evidence at a coronial inquest. This follows the deaths of 50 residents from Covid-19 or neglect at the Victorian facility.
During his testimony, Kontis, the board chair, stated that the board of St Basil's never signed off on the facility's Covid-19 management policy. He believed he had the delegated authority to approve it without them, an understanding he later accepted was incorrect regarding his obligations.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Naomi Hodgson, noted the policy lacked strong guidance on close contacts and that government directives were printed and placed in a yellow folder for staff, rather than updating the policy document itself. Vicky Kos, the director of nursing and facility manager at the time, said a cohort plan for separating residents was in this folder, but some documents from it have gone missing. A subsequent search of electronic and hard-file documents did not reveal such a plan.
Kontis was also questioned about not convening board meetings as the outbreak grew, particularly after 28 positive cases were identified among residents and staff on 15 July 2020. He stated his communication had switched directly to the archbishop. Kontis also said he did not attend key meetings organised by senior management and health officials once the outbreak became significant and the entire workforce needed to be stood down, disagreeing with a directive to furlough staff.
The inquest heard that no minutes from an April 2020 board meeting, where discussions about a significant workforce infection might have occurred, were found among approximately 10,000 pages of evidence. This prompted a delay in the inquest to allow St Basil's representatives to conduct a search. Kontis' evidence is due to resume on 16 November.