Truck driver tests positive at Yamba | Stringent restrictions eased in SA’s South-East after no new cases, locals ‘thrilled’

A truck driver in his 60s has become SA’s fourth active Covid case after testing positive at the Yamba border crossing.

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A truckie who tested positive for Covid-19 at Yamba on Thursday night when returning from NSW had tested negative earlier the same day.

Four sites he visited briefly before the result of the test was known have now been declared exposure sites.

Professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture: Morgan Sette

The man, aged in his 60s, who has no symptoms and had one Pfizer shot has been put into quarantine at the Tom’s Court medi-hotel.

A “handful” of close contacts and people he shares a house with at Salisbury are also in isolation in medi-hotels while their tests are processed.

Exposure sites include the Yamba Caltex and Blanchetown BP on Thursday night, and the Star Laundromat at Salisbury North, Drakes Supermarket at Salisbury North and On The Run at Elizabeth on Friday morning.

The first four are Tier 3 sites — get tested three times but no need to quarantine — while the One The Run is Tier 4 — be alert for symptoms.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier says most people at these sites the man came into contact with would be considered casual contacts but authorities are seeking anyone who might have served him.

She noted the man had worn a face mask in public and stressed that it was important for the transport industry to bring freight in and out of SA.

“I’m very pleased this gentleman was (partly) vaccinated, he’s been tested very early in that infectious stage, and because we had a negative result from NSW we’ve been able to have a slightly different grade for our exposure sites,” she said.

SA recorded a second Covid case yesterday, a woman from overseas, who is in quarantine in a medi-hotel. Meanwhile, Victoria has hit a national daily high of 1838 cases.

In contrast, ICU and hospital admissions in NSW have plunged dramatically in the last fortnight as high vaccinations rates ease the pressure. NSW recorded 646 cases and 11 deaths.

Patients in hospitals with the virus has fallen from a peak of 1266 on September 21, to less than 856 on Friday.

Locals delighted as restrictions eased in South-East

Michelle Etheridge, Brad Crouch

South-East communities are “thrilled” at the easing of tough social distancing restrictions following Friday’s Transition Committee meeting, a border communities advocate says.

However, Cross Border Call Out spokeswoman Paula Gust said the exclusion of Portland from the revised border bubble and the requirement of permit-holders to have their first jab by October 18 still presented challenges.

This week the districts of Mount Gambier, Grant and Wattle Range faced tighter restrictions including the reintroduction of the one person per four square metre rule in venues, and limits on home and private gatherings.

It followed a Mount Gambier woman testing positive to Covid-19 after returning from Victoria.

The border bubble contracted to 30km on the Victorian side of the border and 40km on the SA side, cutting some locals off from work and medical appointments.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens on Friday said the border travel area would be reinstated to 70km on both the Victorian and South Australian sides, but Portland would be excluded.

“There are strong indications from wastewater analysis that there is Covid present in the Portland community and as a result of that … we are excluding the town of Portland from the cross border travel area,” he said.

Mr Stevens said there was no further evidence of any community transmission from the Mount Gambier woman’s movements.

The restrictions, which also included a cap of two visitors to homes, 10 people at weddings and funerals and bans on sport, have left businesses and residents baffled, angry and frustrated, as they counted the cost of the constraints.

State Covid coordinator and Police Commissioner Grant Stevens. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

“People in those local government areas are free to return tot he same activities as everyone else in South Australia,” Mr Stevens said.

“There are strong indications from wastewater analysis that there is Covid present in the Portland community and as a result of that... we are excluding the town of Portland from the cross-border travel area.”

Mr Stevens said there was no further evidence of any community transmission from the Mount Gambier woman’s movements.

Her close contacts and family members have all tested negative to the virus.

Earlier this week, questions were raised over whether she had returned from Casterton, in the cross-border travel bubble, or Melbourne.

The requirement for cross-border community members to be tested for Covid-19 every seven days will remain in place.

Mr Stevens said from October 18, it will be mandatory for cross-border community members to have received their first jab, if they travel on their permits. On Monday, they were told the requirement would be in place within a week.

Ms Gust said people were “thrilled” restrictions were easing.

“Kids will be able to go back to school and people will be able to go back to work,” she said.

But, Ms Gust said, it would still be difficult for people to get their vaccinations by the new cut-off date.

Many were forced to forgo their appointments this week because the travel bubble no longer allowed them to get there.

“People were ready and willing but they weren’t allowed to cross the border because they were just outside the 30km,” Ms Gust said.

The exclusion of Portland would also present difficulties, she said, because many people travelled to Mount Gambier from there for medical appointments.

More than 7000 people were tested in South Australia on Thursday, with people in the South East turning up in their hundreds to be checked.

The number of vaccinations reached a daily high of 20,420.

It was only the second time more than 20,000 jabs had been administered across the state, with 20,317 people immunised on Wednesday.

Tough restrictions imposed on the S-E had left local business owners, including Aaron Davis, Hotel Manager of Jens Hotel, Mt Gambier, baffled. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Vaccinations in SA have now hit 1,808,113 doses with 71 per cent of the eligible population aged over 16 having had one shot and 53 per cent two shots.

SA has had a total of 907 cases and there have been four deaths.

Mr Marshall has also announced this week that interstate visitors would be able to come to SA for Christmas without needing to quarantine.

The state government is finalising the Christmas plan, to be announced in a couple of weeks, easing restrictions for people who are double-vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Victoria has reached a grim national record of 1838 new cases and five more deaths. NSW recorded another 587 new Covid infections and eight people have died with the virus, including a man in his 20s who died at home.