South Australia has recorded three new COVID cases, including the first instances of local transmission since the state opened its borders to New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT last week.
Key points:
- Two men aged in their 50s are believed to have caught the virus from an interstate traveller at an event
- A child in quarantine has also tested positive after returning from overseas
- There have been 13 cases since SA reopened its borders to NSW, Victoria and the ACT
Anyone who attended two venues — a children's theatre, and Business SA's Unley offices — during exposure periods has been ordered to immediately enter quarantine.
Two of the new cases, both men in their 50s, are South Australian residents and had been vaccinated.
SA Health believes they caught the virus from an interstate traveller who was at an event they were attending.
The ABC understands that event was a school reunion at Theatre Bugs in Norwood in Adelaide's eastern suburbs.
In attendance was former SA premier Jay Weatherill.
"While the cases are currently under investigation, we believe the virus was passed on from an interstate traveller at the event," SA Health said.
SA Health has since released a list of several exposure sites, including two deemed close contact exposure locations, that were attended by confirmed cases.
|
Venue |
Exposure time |
Exposure type |
|---|---|---|
|
Theatre Bugs (patrons), 79 Beulah Road, Norwood |
Saturday, November 27, 2pm - 2am Sunday, November 28 |
Close contact exposure location |
|
Business SA (attendees of induction night on level 1) 136 Greenhill Road, Unley |
Tuesday, November 30, 5:30pm - 8pm |
Close contact exposure location |
|
Cardone's Seafood & Grill, |
Friday, November 26, 7pm - 9:30pm |
Casual contact exposure location |
|
Hey Darling Espresso, |
Friday, November 26, 11am - 11:45am |
Low-risk casual contact location |
|
Fourth (wine bar), 34 Jetty Road, Glenelg |
Friday, November 26, 6:30pm - 7am |
Low-risk casual contact location |
|
Theatre Bugs (patrons), 79 Beulah Road, Norwood |
Monday, November 29 & Tuesday, November 30, 9am - 6pm |
Low-risk casual contact location |
Anyone who attended Theatre Bugs and Business SA during the close contact exposure periods will immediately have to get tested and enter quarantine.
Unvaccinated attendees will have to quarantine for "14 days since you were at the location", while vaccinated contacts will be allowed out after seven days, but then must avoid high-risk settings, wear surgical masks and avoid vulnerable people.
Those at Cardone's at Glenelg during the relevant time have been directed to "get tested immediately and quarantine until you receive a negative result", get tested again on days six and 13, wear surgical masks and also avoid the vulnerable and non-essential activities.
Anyone at a low-risk location has been advised to monitor for symptoms and get tested if they develop.
The two new cases are currently being recorded as "locally acquired".
SA Health has refrained from using the term "community transmission", as authorities suspect interstate visitors at the event were the source of the virus — but that link has not yet been officially confirmed.
The third new case is a child who acquired her infection overseas and has been in quarantine since arrival.
South Australia has recorded 13 new coronavirus cases since the state reopened its borders eight days ago, on November 23.
Nine cases are currently listed as active.
Earlier today, SA Police Commissioner and state coordinator Grant Stevens raised the option of borders closing again, amid cases of the new Omicron coronavirus variant in New South Wales.
"People want to be able to make plans, they want to be able to stick to their plans, but the fact is this is a pandemic and it's throwing us curve balls every single day and we don't know when the next one is coming," he said.
"I’m hoping this Omicron plays out how some of the observers are speculating, and that is that it's less severe — more contagious but less severe, I think that's the best scenario for us.
"I'm keen to hold the line in terms of what our current border restrictions are, I know people have got plans to travel for Christmas, I know there are some people from South Australia already interstate.
Commissioner Stevens conceded that he "really didn't know" how swiftly COVID-19 would move into the state from November 23 onwards, and said he was "a bit surprised" it only took about 24 hours.
"But I think our response has been pretty good, and we are adapting to a new set of circumstances," he said.
"Exposure sites are put up not to scare people, but to alert people that if you were there at the time you should be monitoring for symptoms and encouraging people to get tested if you do have the symptoms.
"It's not to panic people but it's to provide information so people can act appropriately to help us control the spread of covid-19 throughout our community.
"But we will get to a point where there's actually no point in putting the exposure sites out because if this plays out as we anticipate and it does spread through the community there will be new exposure sites every single day and the last thing we expect is for people to be checking the website every 15 minutes."
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South Australia records three new cases of COVID-19, including two cases of local transmission - ABC News
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