New testing record shows South Australians determined to crush COVID
Long queues and thousands of coronavirus tests show SA is determined to crush the disease, the Health Minister says, after the public showed up in force for a new blitz.
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Record COVID-19 testing, including long queues at the new Victoria Park drive-through station, shows the public is determined to “crush” the coronavirus menace, Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade says.
SA Pathology and private testers hit a record on Tuesday with 5553 tests.
Test numbers on Wednesday were expected to reach a new high of around 6000 – there were 1300 tests across the state taken within 90 minutes of clinics opening.
Since the pandemic started, almost 260,000 tests have been taken, including people who have had multiple tests.
On a day when SA recorded no new cases for a total of 456 including eight active cases, four deaths and 444 people who have recovered, officials say public co-operation in fighting the virus threat is crucial.
People are urged to get tested if they are feeling even minor respiratory symptoms. These may include a cough, sore throat, runny nose or shortness of breath, as well as fever or chills, loss of smell or alteration in the sense of taste.
A potential case under investigation on Tuesday has returned a negative result after further investigation. Officials had feared the woman aged in her 20s may be a case of community transmission from an unknown source.
As Victoria continues to reel from its health disaster, another five South Australian nurses flew out to Melbourne to help in aged-care centres.
They join a team of 15 SA nurses already working in Melbourne nursing homes.
A team of up to 50 volunteers stands ready to help in Victorian aged-care centres in coming weeks.
The nurses are going on rotation deployments of about two weeks, and face another two weeks in mandatory quarantine on their return to Adelaide. They are working in partnership with Victorian and commonwealth health officials but under their own SA Health leadership team.
All the volunteers are screened for any ailments, and are aware they will be working in risky and stressful situations while wearing personal protective equipment, including face masks on flights.
They are also acutely aware that a young female paramedic volunteer who went to help in Melbourne, including in locked-down high-rise towers, contracted COVID-19.
At the new Victoria Park testing station, hundreds of cars patiently queued in Wakefield Street and deep into the Parklands until occupants reached the SA Pathology nurses. Staff took around five minutes to take each swab. No booking or GP referral is required at the centre.
SA Pathology test processing now takes 17 hours, although transport time can add significant delays before patients get their results.
Mr Wade noted that in the past few days, testing capacity had doubled at Mt Gambier Hospital, a drive-through clinic opened at Lyell McEwin Hospital in addition to the hospital clinic, the Victoria Park clinic drive-through is operating and a new clinic opens at Aldinga on Thursday.
“I’d like to thank South Australians for playing their part in crushing this virus,” Mr Wade said, noting the public had stepped up and accepted the request by health officials to seek tests.
He said there are plans for more clinics to meet demand and there are now 11 mobile test vans in operation.
Mr Wade said a false positive test this week by a private clinic which sparked fears of community transmission showed the SA system is “robust and transparent”.
The postive test immediately triggered contact tracing without waiting for a second test by SA Pathology, which proved negative.
SA Pathology clinical director Dr Ivan Bastian said false positives occur occasionally but stressed testing done in SA is “gold standard.”
He is confident SA Pathology can cope with the strong public demand for tests.
“We are putting numerous things in place to meet demand,” he said, which included extra staff and equipment.
State moves to limit repatriations
SA Police are currently using nearly a quarter of their sworn officers for coronavirus duties, as the state nears a limit on repatriated citizens.
There were no new COVID-19 cases recorded in SA on Tuesday, with one potential case on Monday declared to be a negative result.
Peppers Hotel on Waymouth St and Pullman Hotel at Hindmarsh Square are now being used for repatriated South Australians in quarantine.
A third “medi-hotel” – the Rockford Hotel on Hindley St – is expected to be used. The Playford Hotel on North Tce has also previously been used.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said SA Police has a capacity to manage just four medi-hotels at any one time.
If a fourth hotel opens up, the state will be forced to stop allowing repatriations until pressure on resources are eased.
“Each hotel takes in the order of about 35-40 police officers on a 24/7 basis to provide the security overlay that ensures people in that supervised quarantine arrangement are complying with their obligations,” Mr Stevens said.
“We have put a cap on the number of repatriated South Australians that we will accommodate in South Australia.
“We have indicated that we have a limit that we can accommodate with the resources that we have and I wouldn’t imagine we would exceed that limit.”
Mr Stevens said about 22 per cent of the police force’s sworn officers are being used for COVID-19 duties, including monitoring the Victorian border. Unsworn staff are also working on coronavirus jobs.
He warned that potential changes such as ordering all arrivals from Victoria into mandatory hotel quarantine would further stretch this, however SAPOL has options including asking the Australian Defence Force for assistance.
More nurses fly out to help Victoria
Another contingent of South Australian nurses flew out to Melbourne on Wednesday joining a team of 15 already in Victoria helping out with their aged-care crisis.
The five nurses are among a team of up to 50 volunteers ready to help in Victorian aged-care centres in coming weeks, on rotation deployments of about two weeks, with another two weeks in mandatory quarantine on return to Adelaide.
The nurses are working in partnership with Victorian and Commonwealth health officials but under their own SA Health leadership team.
All the volunteers are screened for any health issues, and are aware they will be working in risky and stressful situations, wearing personal protective equipment.
Queues at Victoria Park testing clinic
Meanwhile, in Victoria Park, long queues were forming at a drive-through station from 7am – one hour before it opened.
Large bank-ups could be seen spilling out onto Wakefield St before splitting into three lanes as cars approached the station – but drivers were waiting patiently on a clear morning.
Health Minister Stephen Wade said SA Pathology tested 1300 people in clinics across the state within their first 90 minutes of opening.
Mr Stevens said South Australians should “prepare” for further restrictions amid rising cases in the state.
“We have already taken steps that came into effect as of midnight
“I wouldn’t say people should expect changes to come in, but they should be prepared for those changes that may come in if we see (more cases).”
“This is an insidious virus and it does spread very quickly and very easily and we need to be mindful of the fact that with active cases in South Australia changes may be needed to protect vulnerable parts of our community.”
At 12.01am on Wednesday, new restrictions were put in place, including a limit of just 10 people per gathering at a residential premises.
Also, patrons at pubs and clubs must remain seated.
gabriel.polychronis@news.com.au
