How the five Thebarton coronavirus cases are linked
One man from Blair Athol returning from Victoria has put dozens of people in quarantine or isolation and has the entire state on edge, by socialising while self-isolating. Here’s how.
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- Today’s updates - two new cases but no new restrictions
- 70 in quarantine, 1100 in isolation from Thebarton college
The Thebarton cluster of five cases – which has the state bracing for more restrictions – started with a Blair Athol man in his 20s.
Regarded as an essential traveller returning from Victoria, he chose to self isolate at the Walkers Arms Hotel from July 27, rather than his home, prior to testing positive and leaving on July 29.
He infected a cleaner at the hotel, a man in his 50s from the northern suburbs, who he spoke to for about 20 minutes.
He also infected a close contact woman in her 20s who attended Thebarton Senior College and Roma Mitchell College as a mature age student.
She in turn passed the infection onto another woman in her 20s who also attended Thebarton Senior College, as well as a second woman in her 20s known to be a close friend.
All are now in quarantine at the Pullman Hotel in the CBD.
The college is now closed and all staff and students are advised to immediately self-isolate until August 15, while 70 close contacts are now in hotel quarantine.
Students who arrived at the college on Friday found police and ambulance officials waiting, and were bussed to quarantine at the Ibis hotel in the city.
An alert is out for people who attended the following locations who should monitor for symptoms and immediately self-isolate and get tested if they develop any symptoms at all, even if mild:
MONDAY July 27 to Wednesday July 29 – Walkers Arms Hotel, Walkerville.
TUESDAY July 28 (evening) – School of Languages located at Roma Mitchell, Secondary College, Gepps Cross
THURSDAY July 30 and Friday July 31 – Thebarton Senior College, Torrensville.
Thousands of people may have done similar things as the man at the heart of the Thebarton cluster, by self isolating in a place other than their home, Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade says.
As of 3pm on Thursday 145,999 travellers including 85,198 essential workers had crossed the SA border in the previous 60 days, requiring varying amounts of self-isolation or quarantine, depending on where they came from, and reason for entering.
Mr Wade said he is not aware of any requirement for travellers to tell hotel staff they are self-isolating.
“Over recent months thousands of people have come back and self isolated, many were not able to do it in their own domestic environment and made other arrangements, it might be a holiday house, might be a hotel, might be other arrangement,” he said.
“My understanding is this gentleman did not know he was positive at the time.”
Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said the man acted correctly in isolating at the hotel rather than at home where he could infect others.
