Arrivals in South Australia will need to pay for their own two-week quarantine as of Saturday July 18
Until now, South Australians coming back to the state have had their two-week quarantine paid for. That’s changing as of Saturday.
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Travellers and expats will be charged for hotel quarantine as authorities warn of a “significantly higher risk” of COVID-19 from the Victorian coronavirus crisis.
The proposed reopening of the state’s borders with NSWs and ACT are now in doubt as are plans to relaunch nightclubs, and dancefloors for patrons, after new evidence that social distancing was ignored at the weekend.
While SA Health on Monday recorded a fortnight of zero daily cases, authorities are concerned about increasing number of new patients interstate. Victoria recorded 177 new cases, bringing total number of “active” or infectious patients to 1612. There were 14 new NSW cases on Monday.
During its meeting on Monday, the State Government’s Transition Committee will discuss borders and nightclubs.
Both Premier Steven Marshall and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens raised uncertainty about the borders being reopened next Monday, as originally planned.
As reported in the Sunday Mail, nightclubs, and “high risk” activities such as allowing drinking patrons to dance in confined areas would be among the first scrapped. Authorities warned special management plans could be revoked amid a “high level” of complacency among youths.
In a fresh warning late on Monday, SA Health urged anyone with symptoms to immediately get tested. There have been 174,553 tests. It said public sector employees in health, aged care, disability and other “front line service” working with vulnerable people should especially seek testing for mild symptoms.
“There is a significantly higher risk of COVID-19 in SA due to the current outbreak in Victoria,” a spokeswoman said.
“If you have any symptoms … no matter how mild, you need to get tested as soon as possible. If you know someone with symptoms … encourage them to seek testing.”
A warning to public servants on Monday night reiterated this sentiment: “Action is required by the South Australian community. Do not go into public places if you are unwell. This includes work, education, childcare, shopping centres, sporting events and social or religious gatherings.”
Health officials are also concerned by a cluster of 21 cases at the Crossroad’s Hotel, Liverpool, in Sydney’s west that is popular with truckies.
Mr Stevens on Monday visited the Victorian checkpoints patrolled by police and troops. He has warned of possible new virus restrictions.
State Cabinet on Monday authorised new hotel fees of $3000 a traveller, $1000 for a partner and $500 for a child.
Children aged under three are free. Taxpayers have paid more than $3.4 million for at least 1200 travellers to quarantine for a fortnight since March, under police guard at the Pullman Hotel in Hindmarsh Square and Playford facility on North Terrace.
The new charge will be introduced from this Saturday.
More than 23,000 Australians are registered overseas.
Premier Steven Marshall said it was a “cost recovery” program with hardship provisions.
“The reality is people had plenty of time to get back to Australia, there’s some real stragglers,” he said. “They will need to be paying for the cost incurred by the taxpayers.”