SA Health officials expecting spike in cases of COVID-19 as 280 passengers jet into Adelaide from India.
The arrival of 280 passengers in Adelaide this morning – on a flight from India – could spark up to 25 new COVID-19 cases, crushing the state's 31-day disease-free streak.
Coronavirus News
Don't miss out on the headlines from Coronavirus News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- SA could record dozens of virus cases within days
- Are you getting the most from your Advertiser subscription?
Almost 300 Australian citizens landed in Adelaide on a repatriation flight from India – but their arrival could spark up to 25 new COVID-19 cases, the SA Government says.
On the weekend, 280 people arrived at Adelaide Airport – from the Indian city of Mumbai via Singapore in southeast Asia.
Health Minister Stephen Wade said SA Health figures showed, based on a subcontinental infection rate of between 5 and 10 per cent, that the deadly infection could resurface.
As of Friday, SA had not recorded a new COVID-19 case for 31 days.
Passengers were transported under police escort to the CBD’s Pullman Hotel, where they will spend the next fortnight in quarantine. The hotel remains cordoned off.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the hotel quarantine system was suitable, despite concerns interstate about guards becoming infected with the virus.
With news the state’s disease-free streak could be broken, Premier Steven Marshall declared South Australians must learn to “live with” coronavirus, as the country prepares to open borders.
A further 69 soldiers from the Adelaide-based 1st Brigade returning from Malaysia will be among those quarantined.
State and territory leaders today agreed to focus on suppressing COVID-19 despite some states, including SA, previously hoping to eliminate it. “After lengthy discussions, all jurisdictions agreed that we needed to maintain our focus on the suppression strategy,” Mr Marshall told The Adver tiser.
“It means we have to live with the coronavirus for a long time – until a vaccine is found.”
He also warned people there “is just no need whatsoever for panic buying”.
Premier Steven Marshall doubled down on his commitment to open borders to all states, if it was safe to do so, as he stressed it was not possible to “wrap the entire economy in cottonwool” for the foreseeable future.
“We are in the midst of a global pandemic and elimination would not be advantageous to the overall Australian economy,” he said.
“Work is being done now on vaccines, and also new treatments, but these are still some way off.
“So we have got to accept that we are living with COVID-19 for the foreseeable future and we have got to get the balance right during this time – a balance between health, social and economic factors.”
He urged South Australians to continue their measured response as reports emerged from Victoria of people again panic-buying toilet paper.
MORE NEWS
Adelaide Oval snub could cost us the Cup
How big parties combined to pincer Mr X
Virus-hit uni leaders chart a new course
“There was a lot of panic in the early days of COVID-19 here in South Australia,” Mr Marshall said.
“As people are now well aware, we did not run out of toilet paper, we did not run out of rice, we did not run out of pasta.
“The supply lines for these products are secure in this country, so there is just no need whatsoever for panic buying.”
Mr Stevens, Mr Wade and Mr Marshall also assured South Australians that significant care was being taken to ensure any further lifting of border restrictions was done safely.
Mr Marshall said the transition committee over the coming days would look “very closely” at relaxing borders with the ACT and New South Wales.
He said the committee would also investigate relaxing restrictions for visitors from Broken Hill and western Victoria.