Coronavirus shutdown in South Australia goes into reverse

SA is back-pedalling out of a lockdown that barely happened and involved two alleged villains who arguably never did anything wrong.

South Australia’s chief public health officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

South Australia is finally back-pedalling its way out of a lockdown that barely happened and involved two alleged villains who arguably never did anything wrong.

The so-called Parafield cluster has been confirmed as one of the least frightening moments in epidemiological history, with zero new cases in the past six days, prompting SA Police to provide much-needed social-distancing relief to the hospitality sector by reverting on Friday to one patron every two square metres, doubling capacity from the four-square-metre rule.

The two men who become hate figures as a result of the lockdown – a Spanish pizza bar worker accused of lying and an overseas student who went on a four-hour shopping spree while in isolation – will face no sanction.

SA was plunged into what was scheduled to be a six-day lockdown at midnight on November 17 after a COVID-19 cluster linked in part to the now-notorious Woodville Pizza Bar jumped quickly from three cases to 17.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall. Picture: Tait Schmaal

However, the lockdown became mired in farce just three days later when a “fuming” Premier Steven Marshall held an extraordinary press conference revealing the closure of the entire state had been based in large part on an alleged lie.

It emerged that a Spanish national working as a kitchen hand at the pizza bar – and also in the kitchen at a quarantine hotel – had falsely claimed he simply bought a pizza there, sparking fears he might have caught COVID off a pizza box.

The Woodville Pizza Bar late last month. Picture: Tait Schmaal.

SA Police formed a 20-strong task force – 13 fewer officers than the 1999 Snowtown bodies-in-barrels murders – to investigate the man’s alleged lie and also misrepresentations by other pizza-bar employees.

However, SA Police have since stated that the man will not be charged with anything after SA Health refused to share the contents of their conversation with him on confidentiality grounds.

The Spaniard’s lawyer Scott Jelbert told The Australian that his client – who remains in hiding – had been cooperative all along with police and had not set out to cause any harm.

Lawyer Scott Jelbert, who represents the pizza-bar worker. Picture: Kate Lambe/9 NEWS

The second man, who was billed as a villain in the lockdown, was an overseas student who earlier this week was accused of going on a four-hour shopping spree where he bought tacos and visited shops across multiple locations despite being ordered to quarantine.

It later emerged he had received no such order, prompting chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier to ring the man to apologise after earlier labelling his conduct “disappointing”.

The confusion over the two cases and the state’s dramatic reaction to the perceived health threat has outraged business, especially in the hospitality sector, with the combined hit from the lockdown and its aftermath estimated at $100 million.

South Australian Police Commissioner Grant Stevens. Picture: Kelly Barnes/Getty Images

But in a sign that the authorities are reading the public mood amid frustration over continuing restrictions, Professor Spurrier was overruled on Friday by Police Commissioner Grant Stevens who said that despite health advice supporting the retention of the four-square-metre rule, he had decided to reduce it to two square metres.

“As the Police Commissioner said, we are a very respectful group and very professional on the Transition Committee and we all have our individual advice to give. It is actually very tricky now at this point in time to give an accurate risk assessment,” Professor Spurrier said.

“There are a lot of unknowns. The longer we go through this, the more days we go with no cases in our community, obviously we can all feel more comfortable but trying to put your finger on what the risk is, is difficult.”

There are now only seven active cases in SA.

Professor Spurrier defended the refusal of SA Health to divulge the conversation with the Spanish national on the grounds of patient-doctor confidentiality.

“We’ve known in public health for years we have to have a very good relationship with people – we have to be acting in the same way a doctor treats their patient,” she said.

“So when you share confidential information with your doctor, you’re not expecting that to be given out – that’s something really enshrined in the ethics of the practice of public health.

“If there is a situation where we need to divulge the information for the greater good, because there’s going to be significant impact on public health, then we would do so.

“In this situation, it was our strong belief, it wasn’t necessary.”

Friday’s press conference was not attended by the Premier but in his absence Health Minister Steven Wade said he regretted that no charges had been laid against the Spanish man, who is in SA on a working visa that his lawyer said he hopes to renew.