Arrival of COVID-19 cases tarnishes Marshall’s record

The shine has come off South Australia’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic after an infected British woman’s arrival.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall. Picture: AAP

The shine has come off South Australia’s impressive management of the COVID-19 pandemic after the state’s chief medical officer suggested Victoria was to blame for letting an infected British woman arrive unannounced in SA, but then admitted SA Health had failed to read the paperwork.

In a shambolic 48 hours that has inflamed anxieties about lifting border restrictions, SA chief medical officer Professor Nicola Spurrier and the Marshall government have been under fire after it emerged that a British woman with COVID-19 was allowed to enter SA from Victoria on compassionate grounds to see her dying father.

Since her arrival, 19 of her “close contacts” are now in isolation in SA, and the Marshall government has ordered a complete and indefinite ban on people entering the state on compassionate grounds if they are from overseas or have returned from overseas.

The woman had tested negative for COVID-19 in Victoria and as such was allowed to enter SA — albeit after serving less than a week of her mandated two weeks’ quarantine in a hotel in Victoria.

She became the state’s first new case in 19 days when she tested positive at the Adelaide Airport on Sunday after arriving from Melbourne on a Jetstar flight.

With the state government under fire for letting her in — especially when so many South Australians have been unable to visit sick loved ones in hospitals and aged care — Professor Spurrier initially said on Thursday that part of the problem was that the SA authorities did not know the woman was coming from Victoria.

The British woman had sought out the authorities herself on arrival at Adelaide Airport, explaining that she had been in quarantine and granted special exemption to come to SA. Police then organised to chaperone her to a city hotel for two weeks’ lockdown and for strictly monitored visits to her ailing father.

South Australian Chief Public Health Officer Dr Nicola Spurrier. Picture: AAP

The suggestion that the confusion was somehow Victoria’s fault drew a rebuke from that state’s CMO, Brett Sutton, who denied Victorian authorities failed to advise SA.

“They were alerted — I’ve got the email that was sent prior with the flight details, with the time and place for arrival,” he said.

In light of his comments, Professor Spurrier issued a statement retracting her earlier remarks and conceding SA had been advised ahead of the woman’s arrival.

“Due to an administrative oversight, we can confirm the relevant flight details involving an overseas traveller arriving in South Australia were provided to SA Health prior to their arrival,” the statement said.

“What this issue has highlighted is the need to strengthen the processes involving travellers arriving from overseas and travelling between states during their quarantine period.”

At a subsequent press conference late on Thursday, Professor Spurrier said sorry to the Victorians.

“I looked at the email trail that I’d been provided with and it did look as though we hadn’t received that information — that bit of crucial information about the day this person arrived,” she said.

“Subsequently we have spoken to Victoria and they did send an earlier email and I do apologise to Victorians in that regard.”

In light of the confusion Premier Steven Marshall issued a blanket ban on compassionate visits pending an inquiry into the case.

“There has clearly been an administrative error in SA Health,” Mr Marshall said. “I’ve spoken to the police commissioner and made it clear no further exemptions will be granted until this is ironed out.

“Clearly the airline didn’t know and we didn’t have police ready to implement our system. We need a robust and airtight system before we let any more people in from overseas.”

Opposition health spokesman Chris Picton said the case was a “truly shocking error by the Marshall Liberal government regarding protecting our state”.

“Steven Marshall announced yesterday that ‘the system has worked well’ — but it clearly didn’t,” he said.