No new coronavirus cases as Barossa schools set to reopen

South Australia recorded no new coronavirus cases on Thursday as health authorities revealed 90 per cent of patients in the state have now recovered.

• Schools across Barossa will close to limit travel
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South Australia’s successful fight against COVID-19 continues with another day of zero new cases and 90 per cent of past cases now listed as recovered.

It is the fourth day in the past week to see no new cases recorded in South Australia. Four new cases have been recorded in the past seven days.

The SA total remains at 438 with 394 cases recovered and four deaths, leaving 40 active cases.

Four people are currently in hospital, including two men aged 68 and 75 in critical conditions in intensive care.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said the number of cases with no epidemiological link had been revised upwards from four to seven, however officials remained hopeful of establishing a link through genetic testing of samples.

This may reveal transference via a third party who did not fall ill.

“I just want to reassure the public that I am no more concerned today than I was yesterday,” Dr Spurrier said this afternoon.

SA Pathology has now processed more than 48,000 tests since February, including 1675 yesterday.

The sole case from Wednesday – a person in their 20s who returned from overseas, self isolated but failed to get tested until very mild symptoms worsened – has seen 38 close contacts put into quarantine.

Dr Spurrier said the patient had suddenly lost their sense of smell and sense of taste, which occurs in about 3 per cent of COVID-19 cases.

“If it happens to you we consider it is a symptom worth checking and having a test done,” she said.

Premier Steven Marshall said this afternoon SA Health was now offering eligible patients undergoing cancer treatment at the Royal Adelaide Hospital the option of receiving chemotherapy at home. He said it was a new effort to reduce the need for vulnerable people to attend the hospital during the pandemic.

In the first four weeks of the program 29 patients signed up, Mr Marshall said.

In addition, some oncology and haematology services have temporarily moved from the RAH to The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, including the transfer of 20 inpatient beds, cutting the usual number of around 60 inpatients by more than half.

SA Health has also relaunched its website in a revamped format.

SA Health chief executive Dr Chris McGowan said the site is a trusted and highly visited source of health information for South Australians, particularly about COVID-19 and the health system’s response.

“Our new website navigation and functionality means we can continue to improve our hospital and public health information,” he said.

“There have been many enhancements, including improved search ability, a fresh, new look and feel and mobile responsiveness.”

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Data unclear on child abuse reporting: SAPOL

South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens during question time on Thursday. The COVID-19 committee is hearing evidence from heath leaders and senior Parliamentarians. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

Police are trying to decipher conflicting information about the number of child abuse reports made during the coronavirus crisis amid concerns some at-risk children might be falling through the cracks because they are not at school.

In the meantime, the Education Department has ramped up checks on vulnerable children to ensure their welfare.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens today told a parliamentary inquiry into the State Government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic that he had received some information that suggested the number of child abuse notifications lodged since the crisis began had decreased, and other information that suggested the opposite.

Click here to view the full story.

BAROSSA SCHOOLS SET TO REOPEN

Barossa schools, preschools and early childhood facilities will reopen from next Wednesday should no new coronavirus cases be detected between now and then, says the state’s Chief Health Officer.

Education facilities across South Australia’s famous wine region were shutdown on March 29 after a COVID-19 cluster developed in the area following two groups of American and Swiss tourists being infected with the virus.

The Department for Education will continue to follow the advice of the senior public health officials when making decisions that affect schools, preschools and early childhood settings.

School services could be set to resume in the Barossa Valley as early as next week, after they were suspended in March due to the coronavirus. Picture: Morgan Sette

“Advice from SA Health and Australia’s expert health body, AHPPC, remains that schools, preschools and early childhood facilities should stay open and that they are safe for staff, students and children,” a Department spokesperson said.

“In light of that and the current low rates of infection in South Australia, students are encouraged to return to their classroom for term 2.

“We respect the preference of parents and if you choose for your child to learn from home, remote learning options are in place.”

Sites are contacting parents with further information.

SA records one more case, SA Pathology to get new HQ

On Wednesday, SA Health launched an urgent hunt for people possibly infected by a young woman who ignored mild symptoms of coronavirus after returning from overseas but subsequently tested positive.

The single case recorded on Wednesday pushed the state total to 438 cases – 388 have recovered and 46 cases remain active. Four people have died, and four are in hospital, including two men aged 68 and 75 in a critical condition.

The latest case is a woman in her 20s who returned from overseas “several weeks ago” and went into mandatory 14-day isolation.

Premier Steven Marshall also announced SA Pathology would not be privatised and instead would get a new headquarters, after achieving significant efficiencies and proving itself a world-class weapon in the fight against COVID-19.

Test turnaround time has been cut from 24 to 14 hours, negative results are now available via SMS, there are drive-through test clinics and they have done 47,000 tests, including 10,000 in the past week.

Originally published as No new coronavirus cases as Barossa schools set to reopen