‘Very unwell’ toddler hospitalised after testing positive to Covid-19 now discharged

Authorities are urgently retesting 100 returned travellers after a ‘very unwell’ young boy who was not wearing a mask on their flight tested positive.

A “very unwell” toddler who was taken to an Adelaide hospital after testing positive to Covid-19 has since been released.

The two-year-old boy had returned to Australia with his family and was taken to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

He was the only person to return a positive coronavirus test on Thursday.

SA Health confirmed the child had been since discharged from hospital and transferred back to the medi-hotel where he would remain under close observation.

South Australian chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said his family members had returned negative results “at this stage”.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier announced the new case on Thursday and said the little boy was ‘very unwell’. Picture: Mike Burton

But as the child was not required to wear a mask while on the repatriation flight, she said authorities were “a little more anxious” about a possible spread on the aircraft.

There were about 100 people on-board the flight that landed on Tuesday.

Additional testing for all passengers on the plane will be implemented as a result.

“As we learnt from the Playford Hotel, we need to make sure as soon as we have somebody test positive, we get them out of that hotel and move them to (the dedicated Covid-19 positive facility) Tom's Court,” Professor Spurrier said.

“This gives us greater ability to pick up anybody who might have been at higher risk of getting Covid.

“It's not nice having a little one being very unwell.”

The boy was taken to the Women's and Children's Hospital in North Adelaide. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Professor Spurrier confirmed a positive case from Wednesday was also transported to hospital.

The man, aged in his 60s, was admitted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital and remains in a stable condition.

Premier Steven Marshall announced a repatriation flight from India would land at Adelaide Airport on Friday with about 150 passengers.

He said all passengers would be tested daily while in hotel quarantine.

There have been a total of 760 reported cases of Covid-19 in South Australia since the pandemic began.

There are currently four active cases across the state.