SA Covid outbreak: Mystery case among four new cases

SA has recorded its first case of Covid community transmission, with authorities urging people in the Onkaparinga Council area to get tested for even mild symptoms.

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South Australia has recorded its first case of mysterious Covid community transmission since the pandemic began as authorities battle to contain the latest outbreak.

In a major alert, SA Health on Friday revealed the patient with an “unknown source of infection” had spent time in the Port Noarlunga area.

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Authorities urged people in the Onkaparinga Council areas across Adelaide’s outer south, including Port Noarlunga and Reynella, to get Covid tested for even the mildest of symptoms.

Contact tracers have been unable to establish where the patient contracted the virus, in the first such case in more than 18 months.

“People in the Onkaparinga LGA, including Port Noarlunga and Reynella, who have any symptoms of Covid-19, are strongly encouraged to seek testing with any symptoms whatsoever, and isolate until they receive a negative test result,” an SA Health spokeswoman said.

“SA Health is working to increase capacity in testing sites in this area.”

The first mysterious case of community transmission since April last year has emerged 10 days after borders reopened to the eastern states after 153 days. The sources of all other cases have been traced.

As another exposure site emerged at a children’s play event at Glenelg North, SA Health’s website temporarily crashed, and the state reached the milestone of having 90 per cent of eligible people over the age of 16 having received their first vaccination dose.

Four new cases on Friday

The alert came as the latest Norwood cluster grew by only one case, a day after the state’s seventh outbreak spiked by 16 cases on Thursday and included former Premier Jay Weatherill, who has tested positive.

The initial case, who attended the Henley High School reunion linked to the Norwood cluster, is “under investigation to determine if they caught their infection interstate or in South Australia”, the SA Health spokeswoman said.

SA chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier speaks to the media on Thursday. Picture Simon Cross

Another two interstate cases also emerged on Friday. The cases are three men aged between 20 and 70 and another woman in her 30s.

A man with Covid, aged in his 30s, is in the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Officials say while he is infectious he is hospital for other medical issues.

There have been 35 cases since borders opened on November 23 – 19 of which are linked to the Norwood cluster.

SA Heath adds new exposure sites

SA Health has added further exposure sites as South Australia records 18 new Covid cases.

Cases are expected to increase as a cluster linked to an event at Norwood’s Theatre Bugs venue grows.

The Norwood cluster rocketed from two with another 16 confirmed for a total of 18. In addition to these 16 new cases who were all fully vaccinated, two unrelated interstate arrivals tested positive.

SA Health on Friday morning released new exposure sites, including for close contacts who visited Marion’s Goodlife gym between 7.20am and 8.30am on Tuesday.

A casual contact exposure site is at Blanchetown Deli and Hardware on Monday from 3-5pm,

and a Playgroups SA event at the Old Gum Tree Reserve in Glenelg North on Monday from 9.45am to 10.45am.

The Gawler health service is a lower-risk site for all of Tuesday.

On Thursday night exposure sites included close contacts who visited Port Adelaide’s Trinity Medical Centre on Tuesday afternoon.

Other lower-risk locations include the Halfway Hotel at Beverley, Thai Orchid Restaurant at Henley Beach and the Western Hospital Courtside Cafe at Henley Beach.

Theatre Bugs at Norwood has closed due to a Covid case in their community. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

The Norwood cases are part of a group of about 50 people, including former premier Jay Weatherill, who attended a Henley High school reunion at the Theatre Bugs premises.

The Advertiser requested an interview with Mr Weatherill who declined saying he is “too sick”.

Owner of the premises Michael Eustice who has tested positive and is in a medi-hotel said he “can confirm that all SA Health requirements were in full met without exception” at the event.

The latest cases are eight men between the ages of 30 and 60 years old and 10 women in their 50s. None are in hospital.

More than 210 close contacts from the Norwood cluster are now in quarantine and that number also is expected to grow

Theatre Bugs at Norwood. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

The source of the infection has not been identified but is believed to be someone from interstate who may have returned interstate.

While the number of exposure sites is expected to grow, chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said not all sites would be listed, only those where there was a public health issue or if contact tracers had not found all possible contacts.

This includes two unnamed public hospitals where the situation was contained and contact tracing completed.

Prof Spurrier said: “We’ll only be putting up exposure sites on our web, on the internet, if we need the public to look at it and then to respond.

“So in the cases of the hospitals, it was contained, and so we’ve already done the contact tracing so all of those people know that they need to quarantine and we’ve done the testing around it so there’s no need for us to make a public announcement about it.”