Home gathering numbers, pubs, clubs face new virus restrictions in SA

South Australia will re-introduce COVID-19 restrictions from Tuesday after the state recorded another two cases of the virus today.

South Australia will re-introduce COVID-19 restrictions from Tuesday after the state recorded another two cases of the virus today.

From 12am on Tuesday, gatherings will be reduced from 50 to just 10 people, with licensed premises moving back to seated-only patronage.

Premier Steven Marshall said his biggest concern at the moment was community transmission.

“It’s been absent for a long time in South Australia, and we don’t want to see it come back,” he said.

“We absolutely don’t want to see the types of lockdowns seen in Victoria, so we are staying in front of the game to keep SA safe.”

Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier and SA Health minister Stephen Wade. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said while one of the new cases was a man who had recently returned on a repatriation flight in hotel quarantine, the second new case was her biggest concern.

“A man in his 50s is a known close contact to the 20-year-old woman who tested positive yesterday,” she said.

“We are testing all close contacts and one close contact is now isolated.”

Both new cases are said to have some respiratory symptoms but were otherwise well.

It’s understood this virus ‘cluster’ has its origins in Victoria.

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“It’s quite disappointing to see new cases in South Australia, especially given our extremely tight border restrictions,” Professor Spurrier said.

“It just shows how transmissible and how quickly it can spread.”

It comes as about 40 students have been forced into isolation after they came into close contact with a woman infected with COVID-19, prompting the closure of two schools .

The adult student, in her 20s, attended both Thebarton Senior and Roma Mitchell Secondary colleges while infectious.

At Roma Mitchell College, in Gepps Cross, she participated in an after-hours education program.