Plans to reopen Victorian border in doubt after ‘complicated‘ COVID-19 infection

Plans to open the SA-Victorian border are in doubt after a woman coming home from Melbourne tested positive a second time.

Plans to reopen the Victorian border are in doubt as experts examine a “complicated” infection. Picture Dean Martin

Updated article: Victorian border to reopen by December 1

Hopes of opening the border with Victoria are on hold as experts assess the risk of a cross-border traveller who may be South Australia’s first case of reinfection.

Premier Steven Marshall is still aiming to return to normal border arrangements in time for Christmas but said he would not reopen until it was safe – “hopefully soon”.

The Transition Committee meets today with a key issue being the potential risk presented by the unusual case of a woman in her 20s who worked as a Commonwealth agency nurse in Melbourne.

She tested positive to coronavirus in August. After recovering, she arrived at Adelaide Airport on Monday morning and checked into a hotel for a fortnight of mandatory quarantine. Her compulsory first-day test was positive.

The woman has not shown any symptoms of the disease.

Authorities call the case “complicated” as they work out whether is it is a reinfection or if she was still shedding old traces of the virus after three months. They are also working to determine any potential risk from Victorians arriving in future.

Mr Marshall said results of extensive tests should be known today. “We would like to remove all of our restrictions (on cross-border travel) as quickly as we possibly can but we are not going to do it before it is safe to do so,” he said.

Mr Marshall said the origin of the nurse’s case had to be found and that would determine “whether that puts us back at all”.

A plan to roll out a COVID-19 vaccine across Australia – once it has been cleared for approval – will also be discussed today when Scott Morrison speaks with state premiers.

A review into best practice for testing, tracing and managing the virus will be handed to national Cabinet as the Prime Minister and state leaders forge ahead with plans to “reopen” Australia by Christmas.

It is expected to lead to more consistent measures, such as sewage testing across the country.

Changes to the one-size-fits-all 14-day hotel quarantine system are also expected to be considered, along with international arrivals caps as part of the continuing bid to get thousands of Australians stranded overseas home.

Victoria on Thursday recorded no new coronavirus cases for the 13th consecutive day, while SA recorded one new case, pushing the state’s total to 520.

The latest case is a man in his 50s who has been in a medi-hotel since his arrival from overseas.

There are now 17 active cases in SA.