SA Health rules out major Playford Hotel security breach in hunt for source of Melbourne virus outbreak

Medi-hotel food rules may change but no major security breaches were found at the Adelaide one linked to the Melbourne virus outbreak. It comes as travel rules tightened overnight.

South Australia’s medi-hotels face new safety measures after an official review found food delivery was a possible cause of the latest quarantine leak that spread to Victoria, sparking a coronavirus outbreak.

The Melbourne cluster, which rose to nine cases of a highly contagious Indian variant, is linked to Adelaide’s Playford hotel. New travel restrictions have been placed on people returning from Melbourne. And in another development, Port Adelaide’s winning clash with Collingwood on Sunday has become the centre of a coronavirus scare after it was discovered a positive attended the MCG game.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens authorised new legal directions from 6.17pm Tuesday that ban anyone who has visited Melbourne’s Whittlesea council area over the past 14 days from entering SA. Essential travellers are exempt, as are returning residents, people relocating or escaping domestic violence.

But they must self-quarantine for 14 days, have Covid tests on days 1, 5 and 13, and wear masks if they come into contact with the public.

Premier Steven Marshall at the opening of the Noarlunga vaccination clinic on Tuesday. Picture: Emily Jarvis

The directions also ban people who visited more than 25 tier 1 or 2 Victorian exposure sites in the past fortnight.

Anyone already in SA who visited the sites during exposure times are bound by the same testing rules and 14 days of quarantine.

People who have been in Whittlesea since May 6 must get tested and self-quarantine until they receive their first negative test.

As of Tuesday night, all people returning from Melbourne must get tested and quarantine while awaiting a negative result. They are also banned from high-risk sites and venues with more than 1000 people. Authorities are bracing for more cases.

An SA Health investigation into the hotel virus leak, the findings of which are expected to be published Wednesday, are understood to have found no major security breaches at the Playford, in Adelaide’s CBD.

But the review, which involved authorities scouring hours of security vision, is believed to recommend safety changes to food delivery to rooms. An SA Health spokeswoman refused to comment.

But earlier on Tuesday, Premier Steven Marshall expressed disappointment about the leak, saying his government would act on any findings from the “thorough investigation”.

“We know this is an insidious disease and we believe we have taken every caution possible,” he said.

The Advertiser last week revealed special genomic tests had linked the Indian “variant of concern” to the Wollert man, from Melbourne’s outer north, who tested positive a fortnight ago after staying at the North Tce medi-hotel.

Passengers arrive at the Playford Hotel after a mercy flight from Mumbai. Picture: Kelly Barnes

The Playford Hotel, which has been linked to the current Melbourne Covid-19 outbreak. Picture: Kelly Barnes

The man, aged in his 30s, was linked to another ill traveller in an adjacent room. The Melbourne man tested positive after flying home.

Last week deputy chief public health officer, Dr Emily Kirkpatrick, said officials explored theories that food delivery or guests having their room doors open too long may have caused the leak.

Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton renewed calls for a dedicated quarantine facility as “hotels are built for tourists, not to contain pandemics”.

Medi-hotels were overhauled last November after the Parafield cluster emerged from the city’s Peppers facility.