Coronavirus SA updates: South Australia records 30 new coronavirus cases as eight new patients linked to Ruby Princess
There have been 30 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in SA as more patients are linked to a cruise ship that docked interstate.
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SA has recorded 30 new coronavirus patients, aged from 19 to 79, bringing the total number of cases to 287.
Eight of those cases have been linked to the Ruby Princess cruise ship, bringing the number of confirmed cases in South Australia linked to the vessel up to 61. There have been 83 confirmed cases linked to the ship nationwide.
“This points out what a difficult situation for cruise ships and we have certainly had a lot of cases from that source,” SA’s chief public health officer Dr Nicola Spurrier said.
Dr Spurrier said this afternoon there were two new community-based transmission cases after officials could not track the infection source, bringing the total to four. Investigations are continuing.
SA Health has urged members of the public who attended the following venues which were attended by a Swiss tour group during these times to monitor themselves for symptoms, and isolate and seek testing if symptoms develop:
* Calabria Family Wines Barossa Valley and Harvest Kitchen Restaurant on March 14 from 12pm-4pm.
* Upstairs at Hollick Restaurant in Penola on March 15 from 1.30pm-330pm.
* Barn Steakhouse, Mt Gambier on 15 March, from 7.30pm.
Five people are in intensive care at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, three men, aged 77, 76 and 68, are now fighting for life in a critical condition. Another two men, aged 75 and 52 are stable. A woman, 53, was yesterday discharged into a ward.
New SA fines, bans as authorities get tough on virus spread
South Australians who gather in groups of more than 10 face an on-the-spot fine of up to $1000 under tough new restrictions introduced across the state overnight.
Businesses who flout the rule face fines of up to $5000.
The tough measures are the latest in an effort to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Gatherings of more than 10 people are also banned, and groups of fewer than 10 must adhere to the 4sq m per person rule or face a fine.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens ordered the ban under the Emergency Management Act.
Under the order, a person must not organise or attend a prohibited gathering.
People must also “use their best endeavours to comply with social distancing principles” when in a group.
Breaches of the act attract fines of up to $20,000 for individuals and up to $75,000 for businesses.
However, Mr Stevens said seeking this penalty involved court proceedings and the new on-the-spot fines would enable immediate penalties to be handed out.
Premier Steven Marshall said he understood the restrictions were changing the way we live and operate.
“But they are not optional,” Mr Marshall said.
“To the majority of South Australians doing the right thing. We say thank you, because the failure of even a small minority to follow the rules threatens the health of all South Australians.
“Everyone needs to understand that from today failure to follow the directions to the letter of the law will leave individuals and businesses liable for significant on-the-spot fines.
“The period of education regarding restrictions during this pandemic really has come to end and the period of enforcement has begun.
“SA Police have established a new team dedicated to enforcing quarantine rules, social distancing restrictions and business closure rules, and will be knocking on the doors of individuals and businesses to ensure pandemic restrictions are being adhered to.
“I encourage South Australians who are aware of people blatantly disobeying the restrictions to contact the police.
“We have a genuine responsibility to protect one another, and that requires everyone following the pandemic laws and practising the highest level of personal responsibility.”
For more information call the SA COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787 between 8am and 8pm any day of the week, or click here.
Army brought in over strict quarantine rules
Australia’s defence force will monitor self-isolation and any arrivals to the country will be quarantined at hotels, as the Federal Government moves to suppress the spread of the coronavirus.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has thanked Australians for adhering to social-distancing measures. He also said the Government was working on a plan to allow businesses to temporarily go into hibernation, giving them the best chance of coming out the other side of the crisis.
Mr Morrison said two of the three new measures would tackle the biggest culprit of the coronavirus spread in Australia head on – travellers.
The move means that South Australians arriving from overseas at interstate airports could face 28 days in isolation – 14 days where they land interstate and an additional two weeks when they return home.
Premier Steven Marshall said the State Government was looking at measures that could mean South Australians travelling from overseas may not have to do the 28 days, but at this stage the rules stood.
“I know this seems extraordinarily harsh, but we have to do everything we can to slow the spread of this disease,” Mr Marshall said.
“South Australia does not have any international flights scheduled to come here too, which with us effectively closing the borders will further slow the spread of the disease.”
Mr Morrison said more than two-thirds of the cases being dealt with in Australia were returned travellers.
“A significant proportion of the other cases have been transmitted from returned travellers,” Mr Morrison said.
“So … the single most important thing we can do is completely stop the capacity for any returning traveller transmitting the virus.”
Those forced into self-isolation in hotels will be monitored by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and paid for by the states and territories.
ADF personnel will also be available in South Australia to ensure people in self-isolation, who have arrived from interstate or overseas, are adhering to their requirements.
Mr Morrison said the enforcement authority would remain South Australian police.
“But the ADF will be there to put boots on the ground, to support them in their enforcement efforts, and I thank the ADF for their great support in turning up to this task,” he said.
Mr Marshall told The Advertiser local police had significantly ramped up efforts to monitor people that should be in self-isolation.
“The Prime Minister has offered the ADF to help support the monitoring of self-isolation and quarantine,” Mr Marshall said.
“At this stage SAPOL has the requisite workforce to support that activity, however, it could be a useful additional resource if needed.”
Mr Marshall said it was important South Australians remained vigilant in adhering to social distance rules that required people to keep 1.5m apart.
“I think the vast majority of all South Australians are doing the right thing and we are grateful for that,” he said.
“But we are only as strong as our weakest link.”
Mr Marshall warned that a forecast maximum temperature of 30C in Adelaide today was not an excuse to flout the rules and head to the beach.
“We don’t want to see what we saw at Bondi Beach last week,” he said.
“Enjoy the weather but no mass gatherings on South Australia beaches, thank you very much.”
South Australians are still being encouraged to visit national parks.
But a number of key visitor destinations closed yesterday, including all campgrounds in SA parks, Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens, Seal Bay, Naracoorte and Tantanoola Caves and Old Adelaide Gaol.
Cleland Wildlife Park will remain open, along with the Adelaide Botanic and Wittunga Botanic Gardens.
Department for Environment and Water chief executive John Schutz said the state was blessed with a huge network of walking and cycling trails in world-class parks, gardens and open spaces that were within easy reach of most people to enjoy.
“For those who are well, and for those who are not required to self-isolate, there are plenty of beautiful natural places to visit,” Mr Schutz said.
But South Australians are already being warned not to travel for the Easter holidays by chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier.
“Any plans to travel, no matter how near or far, should be reconsidered to protect the wider community,” Dr Spurrier said.
“Cancelling holiday plans is always disappointing but to protect public health, we need to limit gatherings of families and friends, as well as the spread of infection.”
Mr Marshall warned Kangaroo Island, in particular, could be vulnerable if there were a spread of coronavirus due to its isolation.
Mr Morrison thanked Australians for adhering to self isolation rules, stressing it was the reason more stringent measures were not required at this time. However, he confirmed he and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg would develop a third tranche of stimulus measures with a focus on allowing businesses to go into hibernation.
“The idea is simple – there are businesses which will have to close their doors. They will have to keep them closed either because we have made it necessary for them to do so, or simply there is just not the business to keep their doors open,” he said.
“We want those businesses to start again. And we do not want over the course of the next six months, or as long as it takes, for those businesses to be so saddled by debt, so saddled by rental payments, so saddled by other liabilities that they will not be able to start again on the other side.
“We want these businesses to effectively go into a hibernation, which means on the other side the employees come back, the opportunities come back, the economy comes back.”
Measures to allow this to happen are expected to be announced in coming days.
Cops probe US runaways as ICU cases double
An infected American couple who fled the state while awaiting coronavirus test results are now under police investigation.
It comes as the number of patients fighting for life in hospital last night doubled amid warnings of clusters on cruise ships.
Six patients are now in intensive care in the Royal Adelaide Hospital, including two men aged 76 and 68 in critical condition. A further four seriously ill patients are stable – three men, aged 77, 75 and 52 as well as a woman, 46. A man, 50 has shifted to a ward.
As it emerged the US pair were under investigation, the number of new cases in the state rose by 22 yesterday to 257. It included a 10-year-old boy, who has not been at his unnamed school.
A Kingston Community School boy, also 10, from the South-East, has the virus. Both boys are stable and the school has been closed.
Test numbers yesterday hit 23,500 and major health services were cancelled as the state’s top public doctor warned of further ICU cases from the “nasty, nasty” virus.
“The fact we now have six people in our intensive care absolutely should drum home to all of us that we need to be following all of the public health instructions,” said Chief Public Health Officer Associate Professor Dr Nicola Spurrier.
The latest infections include 53 people – up nine – from the Ruby Princess cruise ship, which docked in Sydney this month.
At least 77 SA cases involve cruise passengers. A further 40 passengers on a 4.10pm Virgin flight VA428 from Sydney to Adelaide last Thursday have yet to be traced after authorities linked it to an undisclosed cruise ship cluster.
Dr Spurrier, who was “perturbed” earlier this week by people not following social distancing, said a Barossa Valley cluster of cases had risen to seven. She urged anyone who had been at the Lyndoch Hill winery to be urgently tested and self-isolate, especially those at a wedding on Friday last week.
Dr Spurrier, who told an Advertiser online Q&A session of her relief that her youngest son’s time in quarantine had ended, also revealed that specialised heat maps showing cases would be published next week. “It’s actually very important for the public to have as much information as possible,” she said.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens yesterday disclosed that detectives were investigating the US tourists.
It comes after The Advertiser revealed that the infected pair had vanished from their Barossa Valley hotel despite being quarantined and awaiting test results, which later proved to be COVID-19. Premier Steven Marshall condemned the “disgraceful” pair, who flew home via Sydney.
Meanwhile, emergency departments in at least six country hospitals are closing to reduce risks for nearby aged care facilities. Gumeracha District Soldiers Memorial, Strathalbyn, Kapunda, Eudunda and Mt Pleasant hospitals will shut from midnight on Thursday. Penola War Memorial Hospital’s ED will close on Monday, angering rural doctors.
After inquiries from The Advertiser yesterday, BreastScreen SA announced a three-month suspension while all non-urgent dental work was also cancelled.
— Andrew Hough & Michael McGuire