55 cops in self-isolation as Senator tests positive to coronavirus and Premier urges parents to keep kids in school
SA has recorded 34 new coronavirus cases, its single biggest rise – some are from the Ruby Princess cruise ship. It comes as Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick tests positive and more than 50 SA Police officers are in self-isolation.
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SA has recorded its biggest daily jump in coronavirus cases after 34 patients became infected with COVID-19.
PLEASE NOTE: This report is no longer being updated. Click here for latest SA updates
The state’s total is now 134 cases, chief public health officer Dr Nicola Spurrier said at Monday’s daily press conference.
It comes as Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick says he has tested positive to coronavirus.
SA Health has advised me that, despite being asymptomatic, my COVID-19 test has returned positive. I have assisted them with comprehensive contact tracing and they’ll call anyone considered at risk. Nonetheless, anyone concerned about contact with me can ring 1800 020 080 #auspol
— Rex Patrick (@Senator_Patrick) March 23, 2020
The new cases are people that range in age from 20s to 70s, but SA Health says there is still no community transmission.
SA Health said some of the new cases were from the Ruby Princess cruise ship.
Premier Steven Marshall has warned that a community transmission case is inevitable.
Monday’s coronavirus developments
The MyGov website crashed as queues grew outside Centrelinks
Cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs and gyms and more closed to customers from noon
Thousands of hospitality staff lost their jobs
The ASX is again in free fall, with about $120bn lost
SA Labor senator Penny Wong is in self-isolation
Qantas and Virgin began to slash more domestic flights
Planning ahead
Mr Marshall told The Advertiser that medical experts continued to plan for a peak of cases in May, but they were expecting updated predictions soon which would continue to form the foundation of SA’s battle plan.
Mr Marshall said a record number of flu vaccinations would be available this year. Vaccines are being distributed from Tuesday and administered to patients in the coming weeks.
“We have significantly higher stocks than even for last year, and that was a record year,” he said.
“It’s a step increase. We are really wanting to keep all of our intensive care unit capability for the coronavirus, or as much as we possibly can. We don’t want people who unnecessarily get the flu to be taking valuable ICU capacity.”
Mr Marshall said SA was on track to double its number of ventilators, an essential piece of medical equipment which is needed to give people with serious coronavirus symptoms a fighting chance.
Health Minister Stephen Wade said flu vaccines would begin to be administered in the next week or two, in “an important step to support the community”.
“It is doubly important that people take every step they can to deal with every other health issue they have, to take up every opportunity they have,” he said.
“One of the key ways that you will be able to protect yourself against the coronavirus is to get a flu vaccine.”
Mr Wade said there would be “challenges” in getting medical supplies and protective equipment as the coronavirus put more pressure on hospitals.
Hotels considered for patients
Hotels may be used for coronavirus patients under official plans.
SA Health is investigating dedicated isolation areas in Adelaide hotels for patients as many buildings remain empty amid a dramatic slump in demand in the wake of widespread movement restrictions.
Under the plans, areas would be used for patients to stay in isolation and to be monitored by medical staff in an overflow capacity.
Dr Spurrier said the hotel proposal was being investigated as part of wider plan to cope with the mounting demand.
“They understand how important it is and now of course now the Fringe has finished, perhaps they now have a couple of empty rooms,” she said.
Most of the current COVID-19 patients are being cared for in isolation at either the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Flinders Medical Centre or home.
It remains unclear how many have recovered as more than 17,100 tests are completed.
“What I am hoping (with) these restrictions … the numbers are not going to be increasing exponentially,” Dr Spurrier said.
SA Police isolates 55 officers
More than 50 SA Police officers are in self-isolation amid concerns they may have been exposed to the virus – although none have been diagnosed with the virus.
Meanwhile, the police force is developing a plan to ensure that enough officers will remain on the beat if more are forced to self-isolate.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the quarantined officers had either returned from overseas or had direct contact with someone who had been overseas and none had any direct contact with members of the public while on the job.
“We currently have about 55 police officers who are subject to self-isolation and a number of those have been tested but at this point in time no South Australian police officer or staff has tested positive for COVID-19,” he said.
Mr Stevens said SA Police was in the process of developing a plan to deal with any possible workforce deficits associated with coronavirus.
“We’re currently working through a business continuity plan that enables us to ensure continuous service delivery to the community,” he said.
“We have cancelled leave for all of our executive members (and) we are currently looking at the requirements to manage leave for the rest of our staff to ensure that we can put people on the front line and maintain that service that the communities relies (on).”
Keep your kids in school, Premier says
The Premier has urged parents to keep their children in school during the coronavirus pandemic, saying it will save lives.
SA schools will receive a bulk delivery of sanitiser and other hygiene products today, after Mr Marshall conceded about 30 sites had run short.
He said it was a relatively small number of all education sites in SA.
“It shouldn’t have happened, it’s being rectified today,” Mr Marshall said.
He said parents could choose to take children out of school and measures were coming to help those who did, but warned children taken out would need to be educated for much of the year.
“The AHPPC (Australian Health Protection Principal Committee) advice was very, very clear: Keep those schools open and that’s what we are going to do,” Mr Marshall told ABC Radio Adelaide.
Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas said more than 100 countries had closed schools but he had taken his children to school on Monday because that was the advice.
He said Singapore was cited as a successful example of keeping schools open but they had daily temperature checks on students and adequate supply of soap and sanitisers.
“The anxiety among parents and teachers is entirely legitimate,” he said.
Mr Marshall said teachers with concerns about their own health or who had vulnerable family members needed to be considered.
“This is very high on my thinking at the moment,” he said.
Australian Education Union representatives from all states are due to hold an online meeting with federal Education Minister Dan Tehan on Tuesday to express concerns about nationwide shortages of cleaning products and the health and safety of teachers.
Mr Marshall said school holidays would happen as planned and students would be required to return after them.
“What we are doing though is putting more flexible education options in place. Some schools already have them in place. For others, we will need to develop them as quickly as possible. The Department (of Education) has been working on these for some weeks now, in response to the scenario planning.
“It’s more (that) teachers will be developing more online teaching options for school students.
“Our strong advice is that students should still go to school, but we recognise that some parents would prefer to keep their children out of school, and we will develop the options for that as quickly as possible.
Cancel Easter holidays
SA Health Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said families should cancel their Easter holiday celebrations in an effort to stop the outbreak.
“I would personally prefer people to do that, as much as you possibly can.
“I know it sounds quite draconian, but we have only got one chance to get ahead of this virus,’’ she said.
An SA Health spokeswoman said health measures specifically relating to Easter holidays have not officially been provided, but it is Dr Spurrier’s personal preference that family celebrations are cancelled.
SA border closures
South Australia is closing its borders indefinitely, with entrants forced into 14-day self-quarantine and facing spot checks by police, in a drastic move to slow the coronavirus spread.
Mr Marshall made the announcement on Sunday, with the quarantine requirement coming into force immediately, while police border patrols and checks start Tuesday.
He told The Advertiser they will remain in place as long as is necessary, possibly around six months, as top health experts warned the country to brace for a long battle.
There will be exemptions for essential transport.
That will include health workers and medical supplies, patients, relatives and carers as well as emergency services. Residents who live near the border and make frequent crossings for essential goods and services can also be exempt.
From 4pm Monday, entrants to SA will be required to fill in documentation showing they understand the restrictions and provide information detailing where they will be quarantined.
Police will make spot checks, and have powers to detain and fine those who don’t comply.
Separately, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has urged all non-essential travel to cease. Clubs, pubs, sporting venues, churches, cinemas, gyms and casinos all shut their doors at midday on Monday across the country under strict new coronavirus lockdown laws.
Mr Marshall said he regretted the economic impact that would inevitably come from the border crackdown, but it was essential to save the lives of vulnerable citizens.
“The decisions that we made tonight were the toughest I’ve ever had to make. I fully appreciate the devastating effects that some of these decisions will have on businesses and employment.
“But I also know that the advice to the National Cabinet was absolutely clear. They will save lives by slowing the spread of this disease.”
While it is technically still possible for someone who is not an SA resident to come under the new rules, Mr Marshall said the onerous requirements would “turn off the tap” of visitors.
Most of SA’s cases have come from international and interstate visitors.
The new border measure was also recommended by Dr Spurrier.
Mr Malinauskas, who called for the SA border closure on Saturday ahead of Mr Marshall’s announcement, said it was essential to safeguard the health of residents. “I absolutely welcome this move,” he said. “I believed then, and I do now, that it’s fundamentally in the interest of South Australians and their health.”
An Advertiser.com.au poll on Sunday found 86 per cent of more than 18,000 readers approved of the border measures.
Tasmania and the NT have already imposed similar controls. After Mr Marshall’s announcement, WA said it was also cracking down at the borders. That state is looking at using hotels, and Rottnest Island, as quarantine sites.
Help for cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis sufferers in SA will be able to send data on their wellbeing from home to hospital, to avoid risks of exposure to the deadly coronavirus.
Cystic fibrosis symptoms include a decline in lung heath, putting sufferers at additional risk. Spirometer machines are used to measure pulmonary function, and the data taken from machines at home will now be able to be sent online.
The new $300,000 dedicated telehealth service will come online shortly.
Figures show about 350 South Australians suffer the condition and experts say it is the most common life-limiting genetic condition.
The unit’s acting head, Dr Judith Morton, said new telehealth video consultations would be appointed urgently.
Specialists will be able to speak with patients via a webcam on a laptop with patients at home.
“Funding will also be used to purchase essential home spirometers which will allow patients to easily monitor the capacity of their lungs, while infections can be quickly detected and relayed back to the specialists,” she said.