Chaos and confusion over test results, isolation and contact definition

The old year finished in chaos with Covid test bungles and confusion about state and national rules for isolation and contacts.

A major Covid-19 testing blunder has capped off one of the state’s most chaotic days of the pandemic as confusion reigned over isolating rules and more deaths were announced.

In the first failure of its kind, SA Pathology late on Friday revealed that an IT bungle left 11 patients with false results.

The blunder, which forced an official apology after not being identified for three hours, sent a text message to six patients advising them that an initial negative result was actually a positive reading.

It is unclear if any spent time in the community on a day that a record 2093 new cases were identified. A further five patients were told their positive results were wrong and they had been cleared.

An SA Pathology spokeswoman said the PCR nose and throat swab was right but an IT failure sent the wrong results.

Officials also apologised for any “inconvenience”, she said.

“The error was found during our usual quality control processes,” she said.

“While this is the first occurrence in South Australia, we’ve implemented further measures to avoid a similar incident happening again.”

The blunder capped a day of confusion, during which authorities struggled to explain who is a close contact despite a national cabinet agreement.

In other developments:

THE latest infectious patients to die were aged care residents – a woman in her 90s and a man in his 80s, who died at their nursing homes.

A WESTERN suburbs family of a one year-old baby girl told authorities of their distress after she became on Thursday Australia’s youngest infected person to die. There have been eight SA virus-related deaths.

A $40M hospitalityrescue package was unveiled.

A RECORD testing day was recorded on Thursday, with 25,493 swabs collected, but a number of drive-in testing sites, including Victoria Park and Bedford Park, were closed from 10.30am-5.30pm because of the heat.

Covid testing lines at Bedford Park on New Year’s Eve. Photo Kelly Barnes

PEOPLE in isolation told of their frustration after waiting more than 50 hours for results.

AT least 50 per cent of tests were by people with no symptoms, prompting Premier Steven Marshall to warn the asymptomatic to avoid testing.

AN unfolding “emergency situation” unfolded in the state’s jails after a dozen prisoners fell ill in 24 hours.

AN outbreak of 10 sick workers was reported at Iluka Resources’ Jacinth-Ambrosia mine, almost 300km northwest of Ceduna near the WA border. Operations restarted on Friday after the company consulted with government officials and local communities.

THE state’s entry check system for interstate travellers was scrapped;

THE seven-day quarantine for vaccinated international arrivals was also abandoned;

MR Marshall said “no discussions” had occurred on any new statewide lockdowns.

LABOR leader Peter Malinauskas accused the government of “losing control”.

POLICE were called after a heckler hijacked the Premier’s lunchtime media conference.

Prime Minster Scott Morrison and state and territory leaders agreed on Thursday to a four-hour household, or intimate partner, close contact definition. On Friday, Mr Morrison scrapped a day 6 rapid antigen test but people with symptoms need to quarantine and have a PCR swab.

But an SA Health Facebook post at 11.35pm on Thursday said rules centred on at least 15 minutes face-to-face contact.

Chief public health officer for SA Health, Professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture: Emma Brasier

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier, sparked further confusion on Friday after stating SA would not be “using” the four hour rule. “I guess, here in South Australia, we’ve got our own way of doing our contact tracing,” she told ABC Radio.

SA Health advised ill people to isolate at a different house.

Mr Marshall said there were two close contact exceptions – related to a vulnerable cohort such as an aged care facility or Aboriginal community and high transmission sites.

SA Health could not provide any rules for such sites.

“I think it’s pretty simple. I’m sorry if I’ve been unable to explain it … very clearly,” Mr Marshall said.

“We have got a national approach, which is uniform. We have got exceptions by state.

“I appreciate this is a confusing time. I appreciate some people would like to have black and white answers. That’s not the way pandemics (work).”

WHAT'S A CLOSE CONTACT?

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday:
You’re only a close contact if you are effectively living with someone or been in an accommodation setting with someone, more than four hours, with someone who has actually got Covid, not someone who was in contact with someone who’s had Covid. It’s with someone specifically who has Covid.

BUT Professor Nicola Spurrier, ABC Radio Friday morning: 
We’re not using that four hour (decision); that wasn’t something that we’ve discussed at AHPPC (Australian Health Protection Principal Committee). I guess, here in South Australia, we’ve got our own way of doing our contact tracing.  In terms of people outside of the household or your household contacts, it has to have been more than 15 minutes of face-to-face contact. 

Premier Steven Marshall lunchtime Friday: 
You’re a close contact, if you’re a household or intimate partner, or those two exceptional circumstances in South Australia – if it is related to a vulnerable cohort, for example, in aged care facility (or) Aboriginal community where there’s no logic in narrowing that down because those two communities are more likely [to have a] higher level illness. And the other one, of course, is (when) we do have an identified transmission site. 

SA Health Facebook post Thursday 11.35pm
In South Australia we will continue to include "close contacts" as:
â–ª household and household-like contacts and intimate partners
â–ª those who have been in a setting where there has been significant transmission of COVID-19 (and there has been greater than 15 minutes face-to-face contact)
â–ª those in high-risk communities/settings/workplaces where someone has tested positive to COVID-19 (and there has been greater than 15 minutes of face-to-face contact)
Most close contacts will receive an SMS from SA Health. However, if you know you are a close contact, please do not wait for the SMS – get tested and isolate immediately. 

SA Health also advised
If someone you have been in close contact with tells you they have tested positive to COVID-19, you must:
â–ª immediately quarantine for 7 days since they had contact with a COVID-19 positive person or were at the exposure location 
â–ª get an initial PCR test 
â–ª get a PCR test again on day 6 if initial test negative (a negative day 6 PCR test is required to be released from quarantine)
â–ª get a PCR test again immediately if symptoms develop (be mindful of symptoms for up to 14 days)
â–ª not attend high risk settings or Covid Management Plan events for 14 days after exposure
â–ª wear a surgical mask when around others
â–ª avoid contact with vulnerable people, avoid non-essential activities where possible and avoid shared spaces and maintain physical distancing on days 8 to 14 after exposure.
â–ª Do not attend an Emergency Department, unless it is an emergency.

SA Health posted on Facebook on Friday at 5.45am for those with Covid
â–ª If you are diagnosed with COVID-19 you must immediately isolate and inform your close contacts.
â–ª If possible, isolate in a different house to reduce the chance of other people in your house getting sick. Your close contacts will need to get tested and isolate according to vaccination status.
â–ª Your close contacts will largely be people from your household and intimate partners. It may also include other people you have been in close proximity with such as in your workplace, education facility or socially.

Read more