‘Possible’ COVID case in SA after two weeks, health minister says
An Adelaide woman returning home to SA via Victoria from overseas is the state's latest ‘possible’ COVID-19 patient, in what would be the first case in the state in more than a fortnight.
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South Australia may have a “possible” case of coronavirus from an overseas traveller who has returned to the state via Victoria, authorities have revealed.
The potential new case, an Adelaide woman who had returned to Melbourne earlier this month from overseas, is undergoing further checks after her initial COVID-19 test was inconclusive.
An SA Health spokeswoman said the woman’s initial test may have found an “old infection”.
She said SA Pathology had not had any “false-positive” results.
But as a precaution, all positive results are retested.
SA has recorded 16 days of zero cases. There have been 443 local cases since the pandemic began.
The Advertiser has learned a Bordertown truckie who caused a local scare on Friday visited Sydney’s Crossroads Hotel, which has a major cluster of 34 cases.
He is in isolation after his negative test.
The SA health spokeswoman said further testing of the latest patient was being undertaken late on Wednesday.
Her results will be known on Thursday when an announcement is expected.
The woman, who authorities refused to provide further information about, is in taxpayer-payer quarantine at the city-based Pullman Hotel, in Hindmarsh Square together with four Victorian stowaways.
Travellers will be forced to pay from Saturday.
“The person has a history of overseas travel and initial South Australian results were inconclusive and may represent an old infection,” she said.
“The person will remain in isolation until the results of further tests are clear.”
SA Health has issued several public alerts over the Crossroads Hotel cluster.
“This hotel is on the Hume Highway and is a popular stop for interstate truck drivers,” a spokeswoman said.
She said anyone who visited the hotel between 3-10 July must immediately self-isolate until 14 days after they were last there, get tested even if they have no symptoms, be mindful of falling ill, get retested should any respiratory symptoms occur, “no matter how mild” and stay in quarantine for a fortnight even if they return a negative test.
Despite having been briefed on the potential new case, Health Minister Stephen Wade would not reveal any other details about the patient, when they were tested, from where they arrived or where they are in quarantine.
Mr Wade claimed he let clinicians disclose case details but fronted the public on Thursday without any senior medico - such as chief public health officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier.
He denied being “aware” of any “public health risk”.
“Through this pandemic we’ve had a number of situations where possible cases emerge,” he said.
Mr Wade revealed the possible case during an announcement about the mandatory testing of hospital staff who are required to wear special masks.
Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton accused the Minister of not being transparent.
“South Australians have done an outstanding job adhering to COVID restrictions and in return they deserve transparency from the government,” he said
“Stephen Wade clearly knows more about this than he is letting on. He says he’s been briefed on the case but he won’t tell the public information about the case.
“Why won’t he be upfront with South Australians about this potential new case?”
Victoria has recorded 238 new cases overnight, with three deaths in the past 24 hours.
Police and troops are patrolling the “hard border” with Victoria amid mounting concerns the escalating coronavirus crisis poses “a clear threat to public health”.
Only essential travellers and local residents can enter the border. Any resident must quarantine but essential travellers must wear protective equipment while travelling but then isolate.
SA Health late on Wednesday revealed it was sending text message alerts to people entering the state from Victoria, advising to them to “get tested on day 1 and day 12” of their fortnight in self-quarantine.
“Some essential travellers will have received the text, however, (they) only need to be tested if symptoms develop,” a spokeswoman said.
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