As Victoria feels the strain of new cases, Marshall cautiously looks to welcoming interstate travellers
South Australia could be open to more parts of the nation by next week, the Premier says, as new details emerge about two failings in the state’s hotel quarantine system.
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South Australia’s borders could reopen to New South Wales and the ACT as early as next week, Premier Steven Marshall has suggested.
It comes as new details emerged about health protection failings in SA’s hotel coronavirus quarantine system.
The State Government’s COVID-19 Transition Committee debated on Friday opening more borders earlier than the proposed July 20.
But as Victoria recorded another 66 virus patients – the 17th day of double-digit case growth – Mr Marshall said no decision had been made to open more borders on the first day of school holidays.
While borders restrictions have already eased to Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and Tasmania, he said the committee had final issues to thrash out ahead of more meetings next week.
He said the Government was “very pleased” with continued results from the ACT and NSW, where no new virus cases were reported on Friday.
But while most other states’ new cases emerged from overseas arrivals, including Australians returning home, a majority of Victorian cases were “locally acquired”.
Mr Marshall said officials were “getting close” to easing borders restrictions but “we do need some time to get this right”.
At a briefing with Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, Mr Marshall said the focus was “keeping this disease at bay”.
“We don’t want to keep them (border restrictions) in place for any longer than we need to,” he said.
“The Transition Committee formed the opinion there’s a bit more work to do and we hope to … update you sometime next week.”
His comments came as authorities on Friday revealed two cases of security breaches in SA quarantine, in a week when Victorian systems came under fire after infections were linked to blunders.
SA Health stood down a hotel quarantine security guard on Thursday after a police officer discovered he was not wearing a PPE mask while patrolling a hotel floor.
He was “immediately replaced” but given his location and no interaction with guests, he was not required to quarantine for a fortnight.
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Authorities today revealed another blunder happened more than two months ago. A guard was seen without any protective gear on a bus carrying potentially contagious arrivals from India on April 20, during the first wave of repatriated passengers arriving in Adelaide.
He was “immediately removed” and sent home for a 14-day quarantine period.
Mr Stevens said while “you can’t eliminate all risks, I think the process we have in place is quite sound”.
In Queensland, where borders are open to NSW, huge traffic jams developed at the state’s gateway city of Coolangatta after the state introduced a new online permit.
SA Health on Friday revealed the state had recorded a fourth day of zero new cases. Three “active” patients remain in quarantine at the Pullman Hotel in Hindmarsh Square.
About 120 Australian citizens touched down at Adelaide Airport this morning on a Malaysian Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur.
Black Lives Matter protest in city
Protesters have been given approval to stage a second anti-racism rally for thousands of people in Adelaide on Saturday.
SA Health gave the green light for up to 4000 people to attend the Black Lives Matter rally in Victoria Square based on a special COVID management plan.
Chief public health officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, said on Friday night because it was an “outside event limited to two hours”, there was “a reduced risk of transmission” but urged the importance of physical distancing.
More than 6000 attended a BLM rally in the city last month.