SA Health trying to ‘nail down’ exactly how Woodville High student contracted COVID-19

Parts of Woodville High School are in quarantine after a student that went to an infectious pizza bar tested positive to COVID – but SA Health hasn’t confirmed that’s where she got it.

QR codes for fast contract tracing of venue patrons start from Tuesday, most borders should be open for Christmas and the Woodville High schoolgirl who was not in quarantine after visiting the Woodville Pizza Bar last week “has done absolutely nothing wrong”, officials say.

South Australia dodged fears of another lightning lockdown linked to the pizza bar thanks to a combination of the initial “pause” allowing contact tracing to be ramped up, some restrictions still being in place, other factors which caused the initial lockdown no longer being in play — and questions about whether the girl in fact got infected at the pizza bar.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said authorities still “haven’t completely nailed” how the girl got infected or when she was infectious.

“There is also the possibility there might have been someone else, another person who was infected that this person got infected through, the jury is still out on that,” Prof Spurrier said.

She vigorously defended the teenager without giving precise reasons why she went to school on Monday, sending the school community into quarantine, rather than being in quarantine after visiting the pizza bar on November 14.

Woodville High School is closed to undergo deep cleaning and allow SA Health to do detailed contact tracing after a female student tested positive. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

“The fact she got her self tested I am so pleased about, this young person has done absolutely nothing wrong, she has followed the directions within her understanding of what she needed to so,” Prof Spurrier said.

“This person had a particular exposure – I’m not going to give all the details because I have a duty of care to protect people’s privacy — but am strongly of the belief there was nothing done that was wrong.

“All we can do around the pizza bar is to give social media advice, not everyone looks at social media and heard that message.”

Contact tracers are still going through credit card receipts from the pizza bar and Prof Spurrier noted: “We know there are people who attended the pizza bar who we possibly missed.”

SA Health on Thursday night released a new list of places subject to a COVID-19 alert. People who visited at certain times should monitor for symptoms and seek testing if they appear.

Experts going through CCTV footage are still no closer to working out how the virus infected a security guard and two expatriates in quarantine at the Peppers medi-hotel, sparking the Parafield cluster.

More than 95 per cent of staff there have now returned negative tests.

There is still no time frame on when active cases at the hotel will be moved to the planned hotel-hospital for overseas arrivals who test positive while in quarantine in medi-hotels.

The Parafield cluster has grown to 31 following another new case, a man in his 40s who was a close contact of a person in the cluster and who was already in quarantine with his family. Around 4800 people linked to the cluster are in quarantine.

Premier Steven Marshall indicated the planned easing of restrictions and an open border with Victoria are still on track for Tuesday. Queensland will make a decision on its border with SA on Monday.

Cleaners at Woodville High, which is undergoing a deep clean after the positive test. Picture: Tait Schmaal

Mr Marshall also announced “covid-safe check-in” QR codes will start from Tuesday, which patrons will need to scan when entering a venue such as pub or restaurant so they can be quickly contacted in the event of a case being traced to such a venue.

The public will need to download the mySA GOV app to their mobile phone, or update it on Tuesday, which will have the QR code reader embedded in it.

People can be refused entry to a business if they don’t sign in with a QR code or on paper, police said.

Mr Marshall said it needed to be done through the government app linked to their identity to stop people using fake names, and pledged any information would only be available to SA Health and kept only for 28 days.

“This is great news as we move to further open up our economy and create and support jobs,” he said. People without a phone can sign in.

SA Health is working on a pop-up testing clinic for the Woodville area, and will open an airconditioned walk-in clinic 8am-9pm at the Wayville Showgrounds as temperatures head towards 40C, and several clinics including Victoria Park will open from 6.30am.

The Transition Committee meets today but Mr Marshall indicated it is unlikely they will bring forward any easing of restrictions affecting capacity at hospitality venues.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said “we’re still aiming for a Christmas as normal as possible with similar restrictions we had back in November.”