Covid-19 quarantine roadmap map backlash amid concerns businesses ‘daunted’ and ‘bewildered’ at new rules

Industry leaders warn SA’s Covid roadmap has left bosses bewildered and daunted by quarantine rules, saying they’re going to need back up.

South Australian businesses are “daunted” and “bewildered” by new quarantine rules, industry leaders warn, amid calls for an official jab mandate and taxpayer help.

The state government faces a backlash to a complex matrix of nearly 30 scenarios for isolating in outbreaks.

Business SA chief executive Martin Haese welcomed “every effort” to keep firms open but called for “reasonable” taxpayer support for those forced to close.

Committee for Adelaide chief executive officer Bruce Djite.

“Given so many scenarios, business owners are understandably daunted by how to manage this,” he added.

Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne said owners were “bewildered by the complexity” and lack of official jab mandate.

“Every business is now at the absolute coalface of trying to persuade people to get vaccinated,” he said.

Master Builders Association boss Will Frogley said he was looking for clarity on rules for residential and commercial construction sites, multi-story builds as well as school works.

But Committee for Adelaide chief executive Bruce Djite said: “We would however, like to see more reward for those who are double vaccinated, for example, being subjected to testing rather than forced to self isolate for 7 days.”

Property Council SA general manager Daniel Gannon said there was “no handbook on Covid. We should actually embrace the plan and iron out any creases as they emerge.”

Premier Steven Marshall said the government had “very much taken on board the concerns of the business community”. A government spokesman said there were no plans to mandate vaccination for those outside “specific professions in the interest of public safety”.

“Ultimately mandatory vaccination requirements will be decisions for individual businesses, organisations and boards,” he said.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said SA Health advice had ruled out compulsory hospitality jabs. He defended the roadmap map details.

“This is not a scenario where we have three different options available to us,” he said.

“There are a multitude of scenarios that apply and have to be treated differently.

Police commissioner Grant Stevens. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“And the endeavour was to give as much information to the community as possible so they could start to position themselves for the introduction of Covid-19 into South Australia.”

An SA Health document released alongside the roadmap map state that separate guidance “is available” for healthcare services, critical infrastructure, essential industries and sectors for vulnerable people.

But an SA Health spokeswoman said those plans were not ready for publication.

“We are working closely with a range of industries to finalise separate guidance documents for assessing and managing Covid exposure in their specific settings,” she said.

The transition committee recommended no changes.

Mr Stevens said authorities were reviewing a NT outbreak at Katherine but it is understood authorities are reluctant to close borders.

Country students still in limbo over the border

By Rebecca Whitfield-Baker

The McKay family in Lucindale may be in quarantine until December 23, despite the relaxing of Covid rules announced in Monday’s roadmap map to reopening South Australian borders.

Confusion continues over border restrictions for SA boarding students and their families, as the final school term of the year is ending.

Georgie McKay’s teenage sons, Will, in year 12, and Fred, in year 10, are at boarding school in Geelong. Her eldest son, Tom, is studying at university in Melbourne while youngest, Jock, is year 7 at local Lucindale Area School, on the SA side of the border.

From November 23, double-vaccinated South Australians and interstate visitors entering SA will have to isolate for two weeks if they have come from a local government area with community transmission and a double vaccination rate of less than 80 per cent.

Geelong has passed the 80 per cent double vax rate but it recorded 20 new Covid cases and one death last week. Melbourne’s double vax rates are hovering around 70 per cent.

Fred is due to finish the school term in Geelong on December 9 while his older brother graduates from year 12 with a ball on November 19, which the family had hoped to attend.

“Due to the differing times that the boys finish, if we are required to quarantine for two weeks after collecting each of our sons, this will mean that I could potentially be in quarantine with my boys for four weeks through until approximately December 23,” Mrs McKay said.

“Honestly, this time last year we felt confident things would be better in 2021 and here we are 12 months on, still with no certainty about how we can get our kids home.”

Lucindale brothers Will, Fred and Jock McKay have been caught in cross-border Covid chaos for almost two years. Fred and Will are in boarding school on the SA side of the border. Picture: Supplied

The Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA) says many families still face uncertainty on what getting their children home for Christmas will entail.

South Australian president Jill Greenfield said families simply wanted clarity and consistency across the states and territories.

“We are not asking to have a free-for-all; families just want some clarity around the start and end of school terms … this is about kids and their education, not taking a holiday,” Mrs Greenfield said.

Australian Boarding Schools Association executive director Richard Stokes said the situation for interstate boarders “doesn’t make any sense at all”.

“There is a national agreement for agriculture … we’ve an agreement for freight but boarding school students have been absolutely ignored,” he said.

“We’ve had kids who’ve been injured, hurt or fallen sick in their boarding school and their parents haven’t been allowed across the border able to collect them.

“It is just wrong.”

SA authorities believe Melbourne’s double vaccination rates are inaccurate and significantly lower because they are based on outdated population data.