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New exposure sites added for SA after another truckie comes up positive

New exposures sites at Bordertown and Waikerie have been linked to yet another infectious truckie who entered the state earlier this week.

Victoria records 1,993 cases, seven deaths

SA Health has revealed new exposure sites and times linked to a Covid-positive truck driver who entered the state this week.

The Victorian truckie entered SA on Wednesday, October 13, but has since returned to Victoria.

Three new tier two exposure sites have been announced on Sunday morning relating to the case – two at Bordertown and one at Waikerie.

Anyone who visited the Bordertown checkpoint between 6.30am-11am that morning, or visited On The Run at Bordertown between 10.45am-11.20am, must quarantine and undergo testing.

The third exposure site is the United Petrol Station on the Sturt Highway at Waikerie between 6.30pm-7.30pm, also on October 13.

It is separate to another positive truckie case announced on Thursday, with exposure sites listed for October 11 and 13.

Anyone who visited the Keith 24 Seven Shell on the Dukes Highway, and the On the Run Motorsport Park Truckies Lounge at various times last Monday was told they will have to immediately quarantine for 14 days away from others including household members.

They also needed to get tested immediately, and on days five and 13.

Anyone who visited the Big W at Hallett Cove Shopping Centre, Keith 24 Seven Shell and the Tailem Bend On The Run Motorsport Park at various times on Monday and Wednesday must immediately get a Covid test and quarantine until they get a negative result. Tests must be undertaken on days five and 13.

And a FIFO miner from Victoria tested positive for Covid-19 after flying into Adelaide last Sunday night.

The woman, aged in her 30s arrived on Jetstar flight JQ778 at 4pm on Sunday, October 10, from Melbourne.

New exposure sites were listed for the Jetstar flight, Adelaide Airport and a Quest hotel on King William St, where the miner was due to spend 14 days in quarantine.

Anyone who visited the airport must only “monitor for symptoms”.

A Virgin flight at Adelaide Airporit. Picture: Brenton Edwards
A Virgin flight at Adelaide Airporit. Picture: Brenton Edwards

More Covid cases enter SA by road and by air

Exposure sites listed by SA Health have been revised, and three new exposure sites added, after a truckie and his co-driver tested positive to Covid on the weekend.

The Port Augusta On The Run service station, on the corner of the Augusta Hwy and Northern Power Station Rd – formally listed as Port Augusta BP Nullabor Truckstop – is now a tier two hotspot, as is the Yamba Caltex service station.

Three new exposure sites also have been identified in Renmark and Ceduna.

Urgent inquiries are underway after the truckie was intercepted en route to Western Australia after a positive test was recorded at Yamba.

The Victorian commercial transport worker in his 20s took the test at Yamba when crossing into SA from Victoria and continued on his way to WA when the result triggered the alert.

SAPOL intercepted the man while he was driving across SA and he was being escorted back to Adelaide to be put in quarantine in a medi-hotel. His co-driver tested positive on Sunday night. Both drivers are now quarantining at Tom’s Court medi-hotel.

Meanwhile, a teenager who was on the same flight as a Covid-19 positive Virgin cabin crew member flying from Melbourne to Adelaide has caught the virus.

The male in his teens travelled from Melbourne to Adelaide on flight VA219 on Monday, October 4. SA Health confirmed the positive test result on Sunday afternoon.

The teenager has been in a medi-hotel since his arrival.

SA Health are treating Flight VA219 as an exposure site and are contacting all passengers.

The teenager’s case follows the Covid-positive testing of a flight attendant, a man in his 40s, who tested positive in Victoria and had worked on flight VA219 while infectious. He did not enter Adelaide Airport.

Professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture: Morgan Sette
Professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture: Morgan Sette

SA Health has the manifest for the flight and all 25 passengers have received an SMS. Officials are in the process of calling all individuals to determine their place of quarantine and review testing results.

“Given the flight was travelling from Victoria, all passengers were required to quarantine for 14 days on arrival,” an SA Health statement says.

Victorian Department of Health deputy secretary Kate Matson revealed the Virgin flight attendant had travelled on:

October 4: VA219 from Melbourne to Adelaide
October 4: VA218 from Adelaide to Melbourne
October 5: VA827 from Melbourne to Sydney October 5: VA808 from Sydney to Melbourne.
October 6: VA1593 from Melbourne to Newcastle.
October 6: VA1594 Newcastle to Melbourne.

“Fellow crew members on those flights have been deemed close contacts and most do live in Melbourne and will be contacted by the department,” Ms Matson told reporters on Saturday morning.

Passengers on those flights were also being contacted by their respective jurisdictions.

Six domestic flights have been exposed to coronavirus after a Virgin cabin crew member tested positive. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Brenton Edwards
Six domestic flights have been exposed to coronavirus after a Virgin cabin crew member tested positive. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Brenton Edwards

Victorian health authorities have revealed the state is on track to reach 3000 daily cases of Covid-19.

So far this week, Victoria has broken the nation’s record three times for the highest number of daily infections, posting 1965 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the first three of a planned fleet of 10 “vax vans” was launched on Saturday as part of the effort to boost vaccination rates in areas and cultural groups lagging behind the wider community rates.

The decommissioned ambulances will each carry 100 doses of vaccines, including Pfizer in special storage fridges, across the state as well as to pockets of the metropolitan area, depending on requests from various local health networks.

Their role will be education as well as vaccination – teams operating them will attend community events to talk about vaccines and answer questions.

The Yamba drive through COVID-19 testing clinic at the Raymond Laurie Sports Centre.
The Yamba drive through COVID-19 testing clinic at the Raymond Laurie Sports Centre.

Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade said the vans will “supercharge” the existing outreach program of pop-up clinics and will be able to reach groups including remote Indigenous communities.

“More than 53 per cent of our eligible population are now fully vaccinated against the deadly virus,” he said. “We want to see this figure continue to increase to reach our target of at least 80 per cent of the population being fully vaccinated.

“We will continue to do everything we can to support getting the vaccine out into the community.”

He said reaching pockets of the community with lower vaccination rates and people “less keen to get vaccinated” using the vans is critical to drive up rates across geographical areas and cultural groups across the state.

Originally published as New exposure sites added for SA after another truckie comes up positive

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/coronavirus/virgin-flight-crew-member-was-positive-for-covid19-on-two-flights-between-adelaide-and-melbourne-on-october-4/news-story/4a673af7fd2b0b5c4c28dcf071fee527