New SA contact tracing race after another truck driver tests positive

SA health authorities have revealed new exposure sites after another truck driver tested positive to coronavirus after travelling to the state.

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The second infectious truck driver to test positive for Covid-19 in South Australia in as many days was unvaccinated, the state’s top public health doctor has revealed.

In a hastily called late afternoon briefing, Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said the man, aged in his 30s, had returned to Victoria.

The man, who had travelled to SA to purchase another truck, was unvaccinated and returned a positive test Friday after being tested on Thursday night.

He is the ninth infectious truckie to be found with coronavirus in SA in the past month.

Authorities believe they caught the infection early and have downplayed concerns about any potential community transmission due to the time the truckie entered service stations early on Friday.

Exposure sites have been listed as Liberty Glenunga on October 1 around 1.59am and at Coles Express Tailem Bend around 3.45am.

But contact tracers are urgently recreating the men’s movements after authorities manage to take initial interviews.

Prof Spurrier said new close contacts will likely be service station attendants and very few customers. The truckies were wearing masks.

The unvaccinated driver has not broken any quarantine emergency laws, however, as mandatory vaccination requirements for entry into SA do not come into force until October 7.

His case emerged a day after a local man’s positive test sparked a new contact tracing effort on Thursday.

The cases are not linked. At least 56 contacts have been ordered into quarantine linked to Thursday’s case – fewer than half identified through QR codes.

The others were staff and those who self reported.

“At the moment it does not look as though we have particular concerns for ongoing exposures for our state,” Prof Spurrier said.

She said the man had a colleague in his truck with him, but he has returned a negative test.

One driver had one dose of AstraZeneca but the positive patient was not vaccinated.

Prof Spurrier said she was “disappointed” the driver was not vaccinated and urged him to get vaccinated when he is over his illness.

His failure to be vaccinated made his presence in SA more concerning, she said.

She said the number of infected truckies entering SA from NSW and Victoria “really is a reflection of the level of disease in those two states”.

She also said four people were in quarantine after being found to have visited Queensland exposure sites.

Health Minister Stephen Wade said it was a reminder of how important it was to be vaccinated. He said the hospital system was ready for any surge in Delta strain patients.

“Covid is coming to South Australia and we are preparing for the inevitability,” he said.

“More than half of South Australians are fully vaccinated. You’re in the minority if you haven’t been.”

Prof Spurrier said there was no point waiting until there was outbreak, and there was no excuse with Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca now available.

She said it was pleasing to see case numbers come down in the eastern states, which was because vaccination was “really cranking up”.

The case is not linked to Thursday’s announcement of a positive test from a local truck driver.

Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier and health minister Stephen Wade. Picture: Brenton Edwards

No new cases after local truckie tests positive

By Patrick James, Ben Brennan, Greg Barila

EARLIER: A South Australian truck driver who travels to Victoria has tested positive to Covid-19, as the state hits the 50 per cent mark of over 16-year-olds fully vaccinated.

The man, who lives in SA but is currently in Victoria, returned the positive result Thursday morning.

He underwent a test on September 26 and returned a negative result, before being tested again on Wednesday night.

On Friday morning, chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier indicated there were no more positive cases to date, saying she had “nothing bad to report overnight”.

Earlier, Professor Spurrier said it was “reassuring” they detected the infection “very early in the infectious period”.

She said the patient’s wife works in aged care but she, the couple’s child and her parents have since returned negative tests.

The driver has had one vaccination but his wife was fully vaccinated, Prof Spurrier said.

The family is now in isolation. The driver will be subject to Victorian health measures.

There are a “small number” of exposure sites linked to the truckie, mostly truck stops.

The BP Roadhouse Keith, Liberty at Windsor Garden, BP at Wingfield and Caltex at Bolivar Gardens were announced as being exposed on Tuesday, September 28 while the Ampol Foodery Caltex Wingfield was exposed on Wednesday, September 29.

“I’m very hopeful we won’t have any community transmission as a result of this,” Professor Spurrier said.

 “I’m very pleased he doesn’t have any symptoms at the moment”. 

Prof Spurrier said the aged care home that the man’s wife works at “put in procedures as a cautionary measure” but did not enter a lockdown as she returned a negative test.

The truck driver was due to have his second Pfizer vaccination this week, Prof Spurrier added.

“It’s just one of these things, that it’s actually quite a high risk for our truck drivers going back and forth, and unfortunately with the rates of Covid in interstate at the moment, it’s not unexpected.”

Prof Spurrier said the result called for a renewed plea for South Australians to get vaccinated, as the state hit a milestone 50 per cent of people over 16 with two jabs.

“So if you’ve been sitting on the fence of it, thinking about whether you should be vaccinated, think about the fact that 50% of adults now have had at least one dose,” she said.

“So if you haven’t got vaccinated yet you’re starting to look like you’re in the minority.”

The state currently had 49.58 per cent of over 16s with two jabs.