South Australia braces for second wave as cluster grows by five more cases
South Australia’s worrying coronavirus cluster has grown by a further five cases as the hot spot state continues to add new infections to its daily tally.
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South Australia has added five new cases to its alarming cluster in the city’s northern suburbs, taking the outbreak’s total to 20.
Another 14 are suspected to be linked to this outbreak, chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said on Tuesday afternoon.
Testing clinics across the state were inundated with people queuing for hours and some were even turned away.
Premier Steven Marshall first announced the state had only recorded one new case overnight on Tuesday morning.
The Parafield cluster was announced on Sunday after the first known case — a woman in her 80s — was treated at the Lyell McEwin Hospital and later tested positive to the virus.
By Monday, there were 18 new cases, with 13 linked to the cluster — two of them being children and one baby — while the other five were international arrivals who are currently in a medi-hotel.
All positive cases linked to the cluster are quarantining in a hotel except for two which are hospitalised because of their age.
A number of health alerts have been issued since the outbreak and multiple schools have been closed for deep cleaning.
South Australia now has 34 active cases compared to just three in Victoria.
MCG WELCOMES BACK FIRST CROWD SINCE MARCH
A crowd has been allowed back into the MCG for the first time in months to make sure the famous stadium is COVID safe before the summer.
The test crowd of 300 put the stadium’s ability to handle large amounts of people, that have been banned in Victoria for much of the year, to the test.
Entering and exiting, purchasing food and drinks and testing social distancing in queues were all examined on Tuesday morning during the practice event organised by the Victoria Sports, Events and Venues Assembly.
VSEVA are an alliance of 15 organisations established in August to make sure the industry was ready for a post pandemic world.
Tuesday’s event also tested processes for officials and stadium staff.
The Boxing Day test at the MCG will be the first major Victorian event since March.
One of the test crowd told the Herald Sun it all worked smoothly.
“If it goes like that when there is an event on, I think there won’t be too many problems,” David said, adding the entering and exiting didn’t take as long as he thought it would.
NEW RULES AFTER SOUTH AUSTRALIAN OUTBREAK
South Australians flying into Melbourne will be checked, tested and asked to quarantine if necessary but the border remains open for now after the latest COVID-19 outbreak in Adelaide.
Meanwhile, Victoria has gone 18 consecutive days without recording a coronavirus new case or death. More than 17,400 Victorians were tested for the virus on Monday, and three active cases remain.
SA Premier Steven Marshall on Tuesday announced there was just one new positive case in his state overnight.
It was a close contact of an original cluster which spread within a large family after stemming from a medi-hotel.
It brings the number of confirmed and suspect cases to 20.
“The good news is that overnight there’s been just one new infection overnight,” Mr Marshall said.
Mr Marshall said it was an anxious time for South Australia but the early results were encouraging.
Victorian borders have not been closed during the pandemic but Premier Daniel Andrews said he would not rule out such a move if necessary.
Victoria joined other states and territories in declaring South Australia a coronavirus “hot spot” on Monday.
Tasmania and the Northern Territory shut their borders to South Australia as people rushed to the airport before more possible closures.
Victoria Deputy Chief Health officer Allen Cheng said all those flying from Adelaide to Melbourne would have their temperature and symptoms checked on arrival.
Names and contact details would also be taken but there are not yet any quarantine requirements.
“If they refuse to get tested they will be treated as a close contact and be asked to self-isolate for 14 days,’’ Prof Cheng said.
New restrictions were introduced in South Australia in a bid to halt the outbreak. The number of people at funerals and weddings would be capped and limits would be applied at licensed venues, cafes, gyms and entertainment venues.
Aged-care workers must wear masks if people cannot physically distance indoor and outdoor sport and training has been cancelled.
The Ghan, which left Adelaide on Sunday with 221 passengers, was turned back near Alice Springs.
Mr Andrews said he was confident SA’s new contact tracing system would keep the situation under control and offered any support to South Australian counterpart Steven Marshall.
South Australians will still be able to drive to Victoria.
Asked whether a hard border closure was off the table, Mr Andrews said: “I’d never take anything completely off the table”.
“My aim, which is our National Cabinet aim, is to have all the internal borders in our country open by the end of this year,” he said. “We’ve never closed our border. I’ve never criticised others for closing theirs, they’ve done what I would’ve done if the circumstances were different.”
Victorian Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien said Mr Andrews had his full support.
“I think that the interview process is a good one, rather than immediately moving to close the border, so I support the Premier’s actions in that regard,” Mr O’Brien said.
“It does though show the importance of making sure contact tracing is up to speed.
“We know we’re going to get outbreaks, whether it’s Victoria or other states this virus is not going away until we get a vaccine.”
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