South Australia extends coronavirus-free run to 12 days as cash grants to small businesses start rolling out
SA has extended its coronavirus-free streak to 12 days. Meanwhile, the Chief Public Health Officer says the resumption of local footy ‘is on the table’.
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South Australia has extended its coronavirus-free streak to nearly two weeks.
“Well they can’t get much better because we’re now up to 12 days of no new cases,” SA’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr Nicola Spurrier told reporters on Monday.
SA’s coronavirus tally remains unchanged from Sunday.
In total there have been 427 cases - 98 per cent of which have recovered.
There are just seven active cases in the state - three of them in hospital.
No South Australians are in intensive care.
In total, 61,000 tests have been conducted since February - 3.2% of the population.
As Australia heads into winter, Dr Spurrier reiterated that people with mild cold or flu symptoms should get tested.
She said serology results detected antibodies in a patient whose symptoms had been only very mild and who had not been tested for the virus.
Asked whether the state could be close to resuming a local football competition, Dr Spurrier said “look I definitely think that’s on the table.’
“We’ve got two excellent (AFL) football teams in South Australia and I know they’re very keen to start training.”
She said while national football rules prohibited gatherings of more than two people, in SA groups of up to ten athletes could train together.
“It certainly wouldn’t be off the cards that we would be able to have some local football matches in South Australia”.
Asked specifically about the possible resumption of the SANFL competition, Dr Spurrier several barriers needed to be cleared before restrictions could be lifted.
Plans to resume sport would be prestened to National Cabinet and finalised on Friday.
“It’s not too long to wait to get more information about what will be happening next,” she said.
The National Institute of Sport had also developed a plan that looked at a “phasing in sport” for professional athletes.
Dr Spurrier said authorities were also working on a plan for the safe resumption of school and community sport.
She said while the ratesof transmission of coronavirus were lower outdoors, authorities had to manage the risks, particularly in the case of contact sports.
Meanwhile, Premier Steven Marshall said $10,000 cash grants for small businesses began rolling out today.
“This is really going to help them with some of the immediate cashflow problems they’ve got”, Mr Marshall.
MORE TO COME
HOTEL GUESTS HEADED HOME AFTER QUARANTINE
More than 300 Australians who underwent 14-days of quarantine at the Pullman Hotel after arriving in Adelaide from India have started heading home.
One of the guests, Veena, who underwent two weeks quarantine at the Pullman Hotel with her seven-month-old baby said the time was challenging with her baby.
“It was quite difficult with the little ones,” Veena said.
“I really thank the people who work here.”
Last night guests, as well as SA’s Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier, and SA Premier Steven Marshall, enjoyed a concert to farewell them by “international German wonder boy” and Sunday Mail columnist, Hans, also known as Matt Gilbertson.
Veena said the concert “was awesome”. “I was really loving it.”
Another guest, Siraj Syed, said he was keen to get home to Sydney with his family.
“This was a once in a lifetime experience,” Mr Syed said.
“The hospitality of the Pullman and SA Health authorities … and the way they checked up on our health and wellbeing everyday.”
He and his family loved the concert.
“It was beautiful, my kids really enjoyed it.”
He said the first thing they would do when they arrived in Sydney was buy some Indian spices for cooking.
Saranye Vijayakumar, and her husband and two young children, were in India for a wedding. They couldn’t get a flight home for two months, and were keen to start their journey by car to Sydney today.
Mrs Vijayakumar said the time in the hotel was like a holiday for her.
“I do all the cooking and cleaning at home, I am so relaxed, it was kind of like a holiday for me,” Mrs Vijayakumar said.
“We are really happy with how they treated us.”
She said staff made it a priority to supply them with crafts and activities to entertain the children.
Llewellyn Wyeth, general manager of the Pullman Hotel said saying goodbye to guests on Monday was like “saying goodbye to good friends”. He was very happy to have staff back to service guests after they were stood down due to lack of work.
“That day that we got them back in, was just an elation,” Mr Wyeth said.
He said around 90 staff will be stood down from Wednesday.
Chelsea Hopper, director of sales and marketing said the two weeks were a challenge, as staff were not used to providing almost 1200 meals a day of room service.
“It has brought the team together, “ Ms Hopper said.
“It was all hands of deck style on deck, regardless of your job title we had a lot of people who were frontline workers.”
Kylie Galloway, from Geelong, was in India for dental surgery, and staying a further four weeks than her planned six weeks in the country due to travel restrictions.
She said it was terrifying to be in a different country during the pandemic.
“With the two weeks of uncertainty it was really difficult being there,” Ms Galloway said.
She said the Facebook interaction with other guests kept her “sane” during the quarantine.’
“It was good to be understood by people who were going through what you were going through.”
Hans and his band, accompanied by Adelaide DJs, performed in Hindmarsh Square for their first performance since the COVID-19 restrictions were introduced more than six weeks ago. Guests could view the show from their balconies.
Hans said the band was excited to play a live show.
“To finally get together again has been very exciting and also a big thrill to perform for these guests who have had a memorable fortnight,” Hans said.
The guests were taken to the Pullman Hotel by a police escort after arriving on a chartered government flight and touching down at Adelaide Airport on April 20.
More guests on-board the second chartered flight, who were staying at the Playford Hotel, also in the CBD, are set to be released on Wednesday.
On their arrival to Adelaide, no passengers displayed symptoms of coronavirus, but one passenger with a pre-existing medical condition was transported to hospital. No guests returned positive tests to COVID-19 during their stay.
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No new cases for 11th day
SA has recorded another day of zero new cases, an 11-day clean sheet streak, and only seven people in the state currently have COVID-19.
SA Health conducted 943 tests yesterday. No one is in ICU.
SA Health chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said SA was in striking distance of soon having no one actively suffering the disease.
Premier Steven Marshall said SA had done a particularly good job in combating the health crisis and the next step was to safely “reboot” the economy, to be led by a transition committee on easing restrictions.
It includes top public sector bureaucrats and health officials.
“When we look to ease these restrictions, obviously we have to be firmly focused on the health risks.
“These restrictions put in place have had a heavy penalty.
“Every one of these restrictions put in place has been agonised over.
“Now we have to go in the opposite direction.
“We are going to do this, we are going to do it in a careful way.”
Regional tourism will be targeted as a key priority as SA moves to lift restrictions.
Mr Marshall said on Sunday he was eager to rejuvenate those economies and sectors as SA got on top of the virus, a move that could deliver big benefits at relatively low risk. Restrictions around funerals are also set to be reviewed, with this coming week bringing two meetings of the National Cabinet that has set baseline controls across the nation.
Lifeline for council childcare centres across South Australia
Council-run childcare centres losing money because of falling attendances during the COVID-19 pandemic will receive an economic lifeline from the SA Government.
Eight centres across the state will receive a share of $700,000 in support over 12 weeks after being ineligible for the JobKeeper payment.
Education Minister John Gardner said the investment would provide certainty to 137 employees and cater for the care of up to 400 children.
“Child care has been an essential service throughout the coronavirus pandemic, allowing parents to continue to work and support the state’s economy during this challenging time,” Mr Gardner said.
Local Government Association chief executive Matt Pinnegar said it was important the services remained open.
“Most of these centres are located in regional communities, where they are often the only provider of services,” he said.
Norwood Payneham St Peters, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Robe, Southern Mallee, Wattle Range, Coober Pedy and Karoonda East Murray will all benefit from the package.