COVID wastewater mystery deepens as SA Health appeals to festival goers with mild symptoms to get tested

SA Health says it’s “very concerned” about the detection of COVID-19 in Adelaide’s wastewater, saying the levels found haven’t been seen since the Parafield cluster was active.

SA Health says it’s “very concerned” about the detection of COVID-19 in Adelaide’s wastewater.

The second “strong positive” result for COVID testing in Adelaide wastewater has prompted an urgent call for people with even mild symptoms to get tested.

It comes as SA Health on Wednesday reported a new case, a traveller aged in his 30s. He has been moved to the Tom’s Court facility for positive cases.

He is among four active, or infectious patients and is the state’s 621st case.

On Tuesday SA Health issued a statement saying: “At this stage given that there is as yet no clear explanation to the wastewater detection result, it is imperative that anyone who has been in the Adelaide CBD in the past week seek immediate testing if they have any COVID-19 symptoms.

People can get a COVID test at several testing centres around SA. Click here for full list.

The tests detected the virus in a city catchment not linked to Tom’s Court Hotel, where all known positive cases are staying.

However, they are in the catchment for other medihotels, and deputy chief public health officer Dr Emily Kirkpatrick said people could shed the virus for up to three months after no longer being at risk of transmission.

The area concerned is in the northern and northeast corner of the CBD.

“We do have old cases so that would certainly explain these results,” she said.

She said it was possible the positive result was from a family returning from overseas or visiting from interstate.

The COVID-19 testing site at Victoria Park in Adelaide is one of several places where you can get a test. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

This morning on ABC radio, she said the results were definitely not a mistake as repeat testing overnight had still shown a positive detection. “We are very confident that this is a true positive result ... which is very concerning for us at SA Health,” she said.

”We haven’t seen these levels since the Parafield cluster and we’ve had a number of individuals within our medi-hotels in January and in February and we haven’t seen the same detection.

“So we are certainly looking at that next hypothesis, which is around that activity in the CBD. Anyone who has been in the CBD at the Fringe at Womad within the last week should be tested if they have the mildest of symptoms.”

“The final theory that we are concerned about is, could there be undetected cases in the community, that is why we’re really pushing that message, even the mildest symptoms, please go get tested.”

On Monday, wastewater testing for COVID detected the virus in the CBD, in a catchment not linked to Tom’s Court Hotel where all of the known positive cases are staying.

SA Water senior manager of water expertise and research, Dr Daniel Hoefel, with SA Water scientist in environmental microbiology, Melody Lau, doing wastewater testing. Picture: Supplied

There were 2655 tests carried out on Monday and 119 vaccines administered for a total of 3824 vaccinations.

Premier Steven Marshall conceded the rollout was slower than anticipated but stressed it was important to do it “as safely and carefully as we can”.

Vaccinations have started for frontline staff of the Coober Pedy Health Service, Umoona Tjutagku Aboriginal Health Service and Umoona Aged Care as well as aged-care residents expected to receive their shot over the next four days.

SA also recorded two new cases, in travellers who arrived from overseas and are in medi-hotels. The teenage girl and man in his 60s brings the state total to 620 with five active cases.

Meanwhile, SA Police have named Adelaide Fringe venue RCC as one of 50 business caught breaking COVID-19 rules over the long weekend.

Compliance checks were carried out on 773 businesses – 312 which were licensed – from Friday, March 5 to Monday, March 8.

Of these, 50 were found to be breaking legal coronavirus directions, including 26 COVID marshall breaches and 14 related to COVID-safe plans.

A patron uses a QR code to check in to a venue. Picture: Kelly Barnes/Getty Images

A further 13 breaches were recorded for businesses not meeting QR codes and contact tracing requirements, which were all dealt with using education and cautions.

Businesses can be fined $5000 for repeated non-compliance.

One of the breaches was related to the Adelaide Fringe, and was recorded at the RCC venue in Victoria Square on Sunday, March 7.

The most individual breaches were recorded on Friday, March 5, when 16 venues were found to be breaking COVID rules 20 times between them.

An RCC spokesman said to the best of his knowledge, the venue had not been made aware of the breach.

However, a SAPOL spokesperson confirmed the non-compliance was in relation to physical distancing on the dancefloor, and was “dealt with by way of verbal education and advice with SAPOL members working with the RCC staff”.