This blog is now closed. Click HERE for the latest live blog
SA enters snap seven-day lockdown with one new case overnight, new exposure sites revealed
The Premier has announced one new case overnight, bringing the total number of positive Covid cases in the Modbury cluster to six. A swathe of new exposure sites in Adelaide's north, east and south have been revealed as the state enters its 7-day lockdown.
This blog is no longer updating. For the latest updates go HERE
This coronavirus article is unlocked and free to read in the interest of community health and safety. Click here for full digital access to trusted news from The Advertiser for just $1 a week for the first 12 weeks.
The Premier has announced one new case overnight as South Australians face at least a week in a third lockdown and authorities race to stop the highly infectious Delta strain spreading.
The Modbury cluster has now grown to six cases, while SA Health issued urgent new alerts for new high-risk spots across Adelaide.
On Wednesday morning, Premier Steven Marshall said there had been just case overnight, suggesting authorities may have "nipped this in the bud".
"I don't have the details so that will be provided by Professor Nicola Spurrier later in the day" Mr Marshall told Adelaide radio stations.
"In some ways this is a good sign, it could be that we have essentially nipped this in the bud and put this sort of pause in place, this lockdown in place.
"There's been a huge number of tests taken yesterday (Tuesday), and to have just one new positive case to come back is extraordinarily good."
Professor Nicola Spurrier said more details would be provided at the press conference later today.
The new case is linked to the Greek on Halifax restaurant and has led to Westminster School at Marion being named overnight as a high risk exposure site. A boarding staff member at the school worked at the restaurant, where it is expected she contracted the disease.
Late Tuesday, further high risk exposure sites were released, including across swathes of the east and south. As well as Westminster School, they include Burnside Village at Glenside, St Ann’s College in North Adelaide, a McDonalds at Felixstow, a Woolworths at Marryatville and the Whistle and Flute Cafe adjacent to Business SA at Unley. It brings the number of exposure sites to more than 50.
Anyone who visited these sites at times specified by SA Health on its website must quarantine for 14 days, as must members of their household, get an immediate Covid-19 test and further tests on day 5 and 13.
New directions issued at 9.25pm Tuesday make now legally enforce the testing and health rules on people who have been at exposures sites. The rules apply regardless of whether the person has been notified of the risk by SA Health.
COVID-19 HEALTH ALERT 20 JULY UPDATE - Additional exposure locations.
— SA Health (@SAHealth) July 20, 2021
If you were at the locations at the dates/times, you and your household must:
- quarantine for 14 days
- get tested immediately, and on day 5 & 13
- complete the form on our website
ℹ https://t.co/BPuCyDTNqi pic.twitter.com/5OFX9z0xHj
Under SA’s third lockdown, the last of which was November’s Parafield cluster, people can only leave home for five key reasons: essential work; to buy supplies; medical care, including vaccinations; exercise, and; “care and compassion”.
Prof Nicola Spurrier said people ordered into quarantine, particularly during the current outbreak, are at “high risk of developing” the virus and should rebook their first dose vaccination appointments. But she said anyone who has a second dose in quarantine can seek approval to have it.
Mr Marshall, who spoke with Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday, said the state had “planned and we are prepared for this”.
“South Australians are now facing a real and present threat – the Delta variant,” Mr Marshall said.
“As we have shown over the past 18 months, we can, and must, again rise to this challenge. I have no doubt that the entire state is united with a common purpose – to beat this silent enemy.”
Q&A: Everything you need to know about the lockdown
Mr Morrison said he knew the “strain (of) lockdowns”.
Mr Morrison added: “This is going to be a difficult week for South Australians but help is on the way.”
After a meeting of the country’s emergency medical panel, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly declared Adelaide, Gawler and the Hills a “hotspot” for the next week, triggering federal income support, providing up to $600 a week to workers.
The latest list is in addition to exposure sites announced on Tuesday, which included a major shopping centre in the northeast, Tea Tree Plaza, a Service SA branch, popular retail shops, a Bunnings, Dan Murphy’s liquor store, local council library, golf club and a reserve.
Almost 4000 people have told SA Health’s Communicable Disease Control Branch they’ve been to a “hotspot”.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens urged “compassion”.
Mr Stevens, who authorised the lockdown from 6pm on Tuesday after receiving “unequivocal” advice from SA Health’s most senior officials, warned the lockdown was unlikely to end within a week. He said a “best case scenario” to end it early was with minimal cases and if contact tracers could “ring fence” the cluster.
“I’m not confident at this stage they’re going to be able to give me that advice because it’s very early days,” he said.
“The additional positive cases and the potential for community spread put us in a position where we had to revisit (a lockdown) much earlier than we thought, and unfortunately heading in the direction opposite from where we would like to be going.
“In the face of the evidence that is provided, it is not a difficult decision in terms of what is the right thing to do, but it is incredibly difficult when you appreciate the impact of that decision on the … community.
“And so many aspects of the community suffer incredibly because of this.”
Urging people to abide by the rules and get tested with any symptoms, Mr Stevens discouraged people “dobbing” on those they believed were breaking lockdown orders.
However, he said police would welcome tips about “blatant breaches”, such as large parties or BBQs.
“There’s a balance here,” he said.
“You can’t presume you know what people are doing.
“Compassion, respect for each other, looking after our neighbours and making sure the people we know and care about are OK. I don’t think it has ever been more important than when we’re in these situations.”
Prof Spurrier announced the cluster had grown by two cases on Tuesday while specialised testing found the cluster’s source, an elderly man, 81, had contracted the highly infectious Delta variant.
The first new case on Tuesday, a man aged in his 60s, was a relative of the elderly man, a grandfather who returned from Argentina last month with his daughter.
The other case, a man also in his 60s who is a friend of the elderly man’s large Adelaide family, became infectious after celebrating at a birthday party at the CBD’s Greek on Halifax restaurant on Saturday night.Prof Spurrier warned she was “seriously concerned” about the party, held in a private function room between 6pm and 10pm, amid concerns of a “super spreader” event.
The diner worked a shift in the kitchen at the Hindmarsh Meals on Wheels branch on Monday in Adelaide’s west.
More than 100 Greek on Halifax diners are in isolation.
Greek on Halifax owner, Ross Galantomos, said his team was “just trying to do what we can for the state essentially.
Updates
Blog now closed
Westminster School staff in isolation
Most staff at Westminster School are in isolation but few students have been affected by the school being named as an exposure site to Covid-19.
A boarding staff member at the school also works at The Greek on Halifax restaurant, where it is expected she contracted the disease.
Westminster principal Simon Shepherd said the woman had been in contact with other staff but not students.
Monday was a professional development day for staff and minimal students were on the campus.
– by Chris Russell
PM: Vaccines must be rolled out urgently
Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Adelaide radio stations this morning that Covid-19 vaccines must be rolled out with “total urgency,” as he defended the federal government’s handling of the program.
“There’s no doubt that the program has had its problems in the first half of the year but what matters is that you fix those problems,” he said.
“We’re on track to ensure that by the end of the year everyone who wants to have a vaccine will be able to have it.
“That puts us…about two months back from where we’d hoped to be. We’ve caught up several months over these last few months.”
“We’re now at a million (vaccines) a week, just shy of that and we’ve got the supply that we’ve been able to bring forward and we went from 10 million Pfizer to 20 million, then that doubled again from 20 to 40 million,” he said.
– by Elizabeth Henson
Long queues back again
Welcome to our live blog. We will be bringing you updates on SA's Covid situation as they emerge. This morning, queueing at testing stations is back again.
Motorists were again reporting eight hour wait times at the Victoria Park testing station.
More exposure sites identified
New exposures sites for South Australia.
If you were at any of the locations at the specified dates/times, you and your household members must:
· immediately quarantine for 14 days since you were at the location
· get tested immediately
· get tested again on day 5 and day 13
Lockdown officially in effect
It's now 6pm and the state's seven-day lockdown has officially begun. Scroll up to see the full list of restrictions.
New Zealand travel bubble closes to SA
New Zealand has paused its quarantine-free travel arrangement with South Australia.
The travel bubble will close as of 11.59pm New Zealand time tonight.
NZ residents will still be able to return home, but a negative Covid test is needed within 72 hours of departure.
Hotspot declaration unlocks federal assistance (next week)
The declaration of Adelaide, the Hills and Gawler as a Covid hotspot by the Australian Chief Medical Officer means people who lost work in those areas can claim federal assistance:
– $600 if you lose more than 20 hours of work
– $375 if you lose between 8 and 20 hours of work
However, this help is only available from the eighth day of restrictions and cannot be accessed during the first seven days.
The State Government is looking into providing immediate financial support to workers.
Building industry warns of hit to thousands of workers
SA’s high-powered building lobby has demanded answers as to why tens of thousands of workers were not spared from statewide lockdown this time.
Adelaide declared Covid 'hotspot' as Qld closes borders
Australia's chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly has declared parts of SA a Covid-19 "hotspot" for the next week.
Prof Kelly declared all of metropolitan Adelaide a "hotspot" as well as the Gawler and Hills council areas.
Meantime, Queensland will close its borders to SA from 1am on Thursday, July 22.
Anyone arriving from SA will not be allowed to enter Queensland, except for returning residents, who must undergo 14 days of hotel quarantine.
WA and Tasmania have already announced border closures with SA.
Join the conversation
‘It can be fatal’: Health warning for SA babies as RSV spike climbs
A health alert has been issued to SA parents after a shock spike in RSV cases presenting to emergency rooms – with more than half being young children under the age of 5.
Read more
New emergency ‘threats’ putting SA at risk, landmark inquiry finds
The Covid pandemic, River Murray flood crisis, bushfires and statewide blackout were all declared major emergencies over past 20 years. Now, a major inquiry identifies new threats risking state.
Read more