Willunga Primary whole school assembly listed as close contact exposure site as 13 new cases revealed in SA

Willunga Primary School’s final assembly has been named as a major new exposure site, forcing hundreds into quarantine. And a nearby hotel had to close after a positive case visited the site.

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SA Health has announced a whole school assembly at Willunga Primary School has been declared a close contact site involving multiple confirmed cases of Covid.

It comes as the transition committee prepares to meet on Tuesday to discuss a possible date to further ease Covid restrictions and SA Health announces new rules for Omicron quarantining.

The whole school gathering from 9am to 10.30am on Friday, December 10 – which included pupils, parents, siblings and staff – has thrown Christmas plans into chaos for hundreds of families.

The school has about 440 students and anyone who attended the assembly must immediately go into quarantine and get tested as soon as possible.

SA Health guidelines for a close contact exposure site say anyone who is unvaccinated will be required to quarantine for 14 days since the exposure. They must be tested immediately and on days 6 and 13.

People at the assembly who are vaccinated need to quarantine for seven days and get tested immediately and again on day 6.

Most of the children would be unvaccinated as vaccinations are presently only available for children over 12.

Premier Steven Marshall conceded on Tuesday that the quarantine restrictions would be “tough” for families.

“But those people who are doing the right thing, that are in quarantine, are effectively providing the other 1.8 million people in SA with a fantastic Christmas this year,” he said.

The Willunga Primary School end-of-year assembly has been listed as a close contact Covid exposure site. Picture: Google Street View

Parents have been sent a letter from the school stating that: “SA Health has informed us that members of our school community have tested positive for Covid-19.

“As a result, our school site, including our Out of School Hours Care service will be closed for a minimum 24 hours to allow for a clean and contact tracing.”

The Willunga Hotel was closed Sunday and Monday, after a positive case visited their site.

A post on their social media account said they were not contacted by SA Health despite their attempts to speak to someone by phone and email.

“As nearly all our staff worked on Friday we took the step of closing today isolating and getting Covid tested,” the post wrote.

“We are monitoring the situation as it unfolds and will respond on accordance to the government regulations.

“To those who stuck there neck out to provide a heads up to the community, thank you. To SA Health, thanks for nothing.”

COURTS EMPLOYEE TESTS POSITIVE

An Adelaide Magistrates Court staff member has tested positive for Covid-19 – but may have been infectious throughout last week’s hearings.

The Advertiser has learned the public servant, who works in the first floor section of the registry, tested positive for the virus during the weekend.

Courts Administration Authority (CAA) staff were informed just after 3pm on Monday – the worker’s infectious period had yet to be determined at that stage.

“The CAA is awaiting SA Health advice but is already undertaking internal contact tracing to ensure that anybody who has been in contact with the staff member is identified,” it said in an email to staff.

“As recommended to everyone in the community, you should continue to monitor yourself for symptoms and be tested … should you have any symptoms whatsoever.

“The Registry will be cleaned overnight …

“Judiciary and staff will be updated as the situation evolves.”

All of the state’s courts operate Covid safe protocols at their entrances, with sheriff’s officers asking people whether or not they are experiencing cold or flu symptoms.

On Monday night, a CAA spokeswoman said the organisation was still awaiting information and advice from SA Health.

An SA Health spokeswoman said she could not comment on individual cases.

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13 NEW CASES ON MONDAY

The news comes as SA has recorded 13 new cases of Covid overnight – most of them thought to be the Delta strain.

Premier Steven Marshall made the announcement during a press conference earlier on Monday.

“I think our state should now be ready to have these types of numbers pretty much on a daily basis as we go into this next phase on the disease,” Mr Marshall said.

“My understanding is the vast majority are Delta.”

He noted just thee people are in hospital – none in intensive care – and he expects most people who catch the virus in future will recover at home, as most are now fully vaccinated.

SAME RULES FOR OMICRON

Close contacts of suspected Omicron variant Covid cases will no longer be required to quarantine for 14 days, after health authorities backflipped on new rules introduced last week.

Under the rules, announced on Friday, close contacts were required to undertake two weeks in quarantine regardless of their vaccination status.

SA Health confirmed on Monday the rules would no longer apply, and only one week of quarantine would be required for vaccinated close contacts – the same rule that applies to Delta variant cases.

SUNDAY’S CASE UPDATES

On Sunday, 10 new Covid cases were revealed. Sunday’s cases include two children, a teenager, four are men aged between 20 and 50 and three women aged between 20 and 70.

Of these cases, one acquired their infection interstate, six acquired their infection locally and are known contacts of a positive case, while three cases are under investigation.

Six were vaccinated and the status of the others is not known.

A woman in her 50s and two men in their 30s are in the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a stable condition.

It comes as SA Health released more exposure sites late Sunday, including multiple gyms and restaurants.

Derrimut 24:7 gym, Revive Fitness Centre at Plympton Park, VDR Vietnamese restaurant at Norwood, Vileroy restaurant at Norwood and Rex Flight ZL465 from Melbourne to Adelaide are all considered close contact exposure sites at various times.

Casual contact exposure sites included Frankie – the hair and beauty bar, Norwood’s VDR Vietnamese restaurant at Norwood and Afghan makeup artist at Tennyson.

There were 13,611 tests carried out in SA on Saturday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Matray

These are the only hospital cases since borders opened on November 23, of 86 cases since recorded.

Covid has been detected in wastewater results from Indulkana in the APY Lands in the last week.

In response, SA Health is sending a team to support increased testing and vaccinations for the community in partnership with Nganampa Health Council.

The vaccination rate is 91.1 per cent for one shot, 84.6 per cent for two. There were 13,611 tests carried out on Saturday.

CRICKET MATCHES CANCELLED

A senior Port Adelaide Cricket Club player has tested positive for Covid, sparking the cancellation of eight senior and junior matches across Adelaide on Saturday as a precaution.

It is the first time the pandemic has directly forced the withdrawal of community sporting matches in Adelaide since the first case was detected in SA in February 2020.

Genomic testing is yet to determine whether the positive test result is Omicron-related.

The affected player, aged in his 20s, attended training Thursday night at Port Adelaide and was in the clubrooms after training.

There was possible contact with junior players on that training night.

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