Victorian border remains open as officials monitor cases; new rules for people entering SA

SA officials are monitoring new cases in Victoria, but the border restrictions remain unchanged, so far. People trying to enter SA will now have to apply a week in advance.

South Australia’s border restrictions with Victoria remain unchanged – for now – but will be monitored as cases there continue to rise and local ­authorities urge people to ­reconsider non-essential travel to Victoria.

While SA recorded no new cases on Sunday, a second ­returned traveller in quarantine who previously tested positive has been confirmed as having the highly infectious UK strain of the virus.

The man recently returned from the UK and was treated at the Royal Adelaide Hospital but is now in a medi-hotel.

Victoria recorded three new cases but SA chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said it was important SA took a “proportionate ­response”.

“I would say to South Australians to stay alert but not alarmed,” she said.

“Obviously we are looking at the border but that’s not necessary at the moment. I don’t have any advice about closing our border at this time.”

She said SA Health had been sending SMS alerts since Thursday to all arrivals from Victoria, including returning South Australians. They are being urged to monitor the SA Health and the Victoria Health websites for advice about isolating and being tested if they have been to specific sites linked to the outbreak.

Prof Spurrier also reminded all people coming from Victoria to be alert for symptoms and get tested if they developed any.

“South Australians should reconsider any travel arrangements they have to Victoria and have flexibility,” she said.

A rush to enter SA has prompted police to warn ­arrivals from “low-community-transmission zones” – all states and territories apart from NSW, as well as New Zealand – that they now need to put in their applications to enter seven days in advance “due to unprecedented demand”.

SA’s chief public medical officer Professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture: File

Prof Spurrier said the Victorian situation was “relatively stable” in terms of tracing close contacts. More than 200 close contacts from the original outbreak, which now stands at 21, are in quarantine, including two people in SA who have tested negative.

Victorian officials are now putting close contacts of all these primary close contacts in quarantine in a precautionary move described by Prof ­Spurrier as “double-bagging or ring-fencing.”

NSW recorded eight cases and authorities there have introduced more restrictions and made masks mandatory in the greater Sydney area in some indoor settings, including public transport and shopping centres. Children under 12 are exempt, as are people with some medical conditions.

Prof Spurrier welcomed the reporting of protocol breaches at medi-hotels by security guards after The Advertiser ­revealed there had been 99 breaches, including 23 cases of guards falling asleep on the job.

She noted strict rules meant even minor breaches were reported and recent changes meant guards were no longer working 12-hour shifts, creating circumstances when she could “appreciate how someone could have nodded off”.

Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton said every precaution must be taken to ensure the state stayed safe.

“These are shocking breaches and highlight the risks when we are relying on subcontracted private security guards for our safety,” he said.

“There’s no doubt you aren’t ‘gold star’ when private security guards are falling asleep on the job.”

SA has nine active cases, all international arrivals, from a total of 579 cases, after further tests from a previous case confirmed it was an old infection already diagnosed overseas so was removed from the total.

There were 5543 tests done on Monday, bringing the state’s total to 846,789.