Border restrictions with SE Qld eased, third Covid-positive truckie from NSW passes through SA

New exposure sites from a third infectious truckie have been released as SA authorities announce new arrangements on the Queensland border.

Up to 100 people linked to multiple exposure sites across South Australia visited by three infectious truckies have yet to be contacted, authorities say.

SA Health has ordered at least 225 people into quarantine after being found to have visited 14 exposure sites in Adelaide, Port Wakefield, Port Augusta Ceduna and Nundroo, near the WA border.

Of those identified as close, or secondary contacts, almost three quarters have returned negative tests.

Contact tracers on Tuesday were still trying to track at least 100 people feared to have come into contact with the three truckies.

On Monday, at least 24 people linked with two infectious Perth-bound truckies had yet to be traced.

It comes as border restrictions were eased with South East Queensland, including 11 council areas around greater Brisbane, and Katherine in the NT, the state’s Covid-19 chief has announced.

The transition committee on Tuesday advised Police Commissioner Grant Stevens that testing rules could be scrapped.

The legal directions, which will cease immediately, had required travellers to undertake three sets of tests over a fortnight and to self-isolate until a first negative result.

Mr Stevens, who authorises all legal directions as state Covid-19 co-ordinator, said the rules could ease after “sufficient infection-free days in community”.

There are no border restrictions with those two states.

Mr Stevens also flagged positive changes to private functions, especially weddings, later this week. Current rules cap guests at 150 people, with dancing banned for all but the bridal party.

It comes as two new exposure sites were announced after a third infectious truck driver visited areas north of Adelaide on Monday.

“We … had a significant discussion in relation to private activities. This is the category under which most weddings and other receptions fall under,” Mr Stevens said.

“We will be making changes to the private activities direction to free up activity in that particular sector, for weddings. We haven’t landed entirely what those changes are going to be.

“SA Health will be making contact with sector representatives over the course of the next couple of days to establish how we can free things up in that particular environment but to do so safely.”

SA Police with a truck at border check point near Penola. Picture: Tom Huntley

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens speaks at a Covid-19 press conference. Picture: Kelly Barnes

He hoped changes would suit the industry but “can be done safely with the understanding that we have that weddings in particular have been identified as environments in which Covid-19 can spread quite effectively”.

“So we’re trying to find that balance with that particular sector that can generate a bit of activity,” he said.

“People who are planning to get married can continue with their plans and we will see less cancellations as we move through to this particular part of the year.”

Mr Stevens said the committee had also briefly discussed hospitality rules, as authorities closely watched the industry “to make sure they can trade as effectively as possible and to manage that risk”.

“Bearing in mind that we’ve had three positive truck drivers in South Australia in the last few days, all of those having come from NSW, it is a timely reminder to people that we are not through this yet,” he said.

“We are very fortunate in South Australia to have the level of activity that we do have, but we are still … in a race against time to get to that point where the vaccination program hits its stride and we can start to lift these restrictions entirely.”

Two new Covid-19 exposure sites have been revealed after a third infectious truckie passed through South Australia.

SA Health announced the new sites about 11pm Monday, after the Covid-positive truck driver from NSW passed through Port Wakefield and Gepps Cross on Monday.

Mr Stevens said the latest truckie was quarantining at home in NSW but had provided SA Health contact tracers with relevant information about his travels.

“The truck driver concerned, I’m advised, has been very co-operative and has provided a wealth of information about his movements and that’s just being verified at the moment,” he said.

“It appears we have got on to this very early. The truck driver was only in SA yesterday, and we’re already moving to take action to those exposure sites.

“If we’re going to have incursions these are the sorts we are most willing to have because we seem to get on top of them quite quickly.”

The Metcash distribution centre at Gepps Cross. Supplied by Metcash

Anyone who visited Port Wakefield’s new On the Run – which was until recently a BP truck stop and still has BP signage – on Snowtown Rd from 1.50pm to 3.20pm Monday, August 30, should get tested immediately, quarantine for 14 days, and receive Covid tests on days five and 13.

Anyone who visited the newly opened Metcash Distribution Centre at Gepps Cross, on Port Wakefield Rd, between 8.30am and 9.30am on Monday should monitor symptoms and get tested should they develop.

It comes as authorities scramble to find potential close contacts of two infectious truckies who passed through regional SA through last week.

More than 140 people have been forced into quarantine after visiting 14 exposure sites the truckies visited in the past 10 days, three quarters of whom have returned a negative test.

The truckies, who were in the one lorry, made two trips across the state, creating exposure sites in Port Augusta, Ceduna and Nundroo.

Both truck drivers are from Western Australia.