South Australians have hit back at the Australian Olympic Committee, saying tough rules that will see athletes do a “double quarantine” are necessary to protect the community.

Key points:

  • Authorities introduced a second period of quarantine for travellers returning from Sydney last month
  • Premier Steven Marshall said the Modbury cluster was proof of why the tough rules were in place
  • Olympian Bel White said while it would be tough to quarantine twice, she understood why

International arrivals who have undertaken their mandatory 14 days of hotel quarantine in Sydney were previously allowed to travel into Adelaide without a separate quarantine period.

But as the Delta strain began to spread in New South Wales, authorities last month imposed a second round of home quarantine for all travellers coming from Sydney.

An 81-year-old South Australian who returned to the country from Argentina caught the Delta strain of COVID-19 while completing his two-week quarantine in Sydney.

He returned to the state and was the first case in the Modbury cluster, which saw 22 people in South Australia test positive to the Delta variant and sparked a statewide, seven-day lockdown last month.

Yesterday, the AOC slammed SA Health’s rules saying they “lacked common sense” and were both “cruel and uncaring” for 11 athletes and five support staff from South Australia. 

But South Australians have applauded the state’s rules saying while the athletes had done a great job in Tokyo, they were not above the requirements.

“I’m tired of this. These athletes were very fortunate that they were able to go to the games and I admire them, they have done a wonderful job, but the fact is that all of us are suffering,” James told ABC Radio Adelaide.

“I wasn’t able to go to Western Australia for the birth of my first grandchild and it’s just the way of the world.

“Their officials perhaps haven’t dealt with it appropriately, it’s unfortunate but they have been very fortunate they’ve been able to go to Tokyo to participate.

Athletes ‘shouldn’t get special exemptions’

Nuriootpa resident Stuart Jones has been stuck in New South Wales since the outbreak began.

He and his wife, who are both in their late 70s and both fully vaccinated have just been granted an exemption to return to South Australia weeks after applying for one.

“We’ve been trying to return to South Australia for some time, particularly once Sydney went down and it was pretty obviously going to spread we thought we’d get out of there,” Mr Jones said.

Mr Jones said returning Olympians and even other athletes should not be given any special treatment with border closures.

“I think the whole football thing is a bit of a farce, because people like us who struggle to get through we get absolutely no recognition for the fact that we’ve got double vaccination or anything like that, but we are lucky we’ve got [our vaccinations], so we put up with it.”

South Australians returning from New South Wales have found it difficult to get exemptions approved.(

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The AOC CEO Matt Carroll said they had no choice but to send 16 South Australian athletes to Sydney for quarantine before booking them through to return to Adelaide.

He said upon finding out athletes would have to double quarantine in South Australia on July 30, the AOC applied for an exemption, but was denied.

“I don’t disagree with your listeners and callers that you want to keep your borders safe, the Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Olympic Team are not asking for anything special,” he told ABC Radio Adelaide.

“We put forward what we were going to do and how we were going to do it, and the only thing I got back from SA Health was ‘declined’.”

AFL allowed into SA due to ‘sterile corridor’

Premier Steven Marshall has stood by the decision saying the Modbury cluster was proof that the rules were necessary.

“We can’t have one set of rules for one group of people and a completely different set for others,” he said.

“I know this is heartbreaking and I know that Nicola Spurrier has agonised over this, and that’s why we have looked at ways where people can do home-based quarantine, but the 81-year-old gentleman who came home from Argentina had done the 14 days quarantine in New South Wales.

Premier Steven Marshall said it was unfortunate people would have to double quarantine.(

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“The situation [in NSW] has deteriorated since then, it’s gotten worse.”

He said he understood having to double quarantine was not ideal, which was why authorities were allowing people returning from NSW to home quarantine where possible.

When asked about AFL players being allowed into the state, Mr Marshall said the situation was different as footballers were not coming from New South Wales.

“We don’t have the same restrictions with Victoria that we have with NSW, and the AFL has a very sterile corridor going in and out and there are still extraordinary restrictions on those athletes as well,” he said.

“I think it’s an unfair comparison, I know why people are making the comparison, but it is just a completely different situation.”

ABC Radio Adelaide caller Suzanne said the AOC could have done more to protect athletes returning home in the same way the AFL protected its players.

“We in South Australia know that the rules change on a daily basis, [Matt Carroll] is on a very high level, I don’t know why he didn’t protect his own athletes and nothing stays the same in a COVID world,” she said.

“What’s another 14 days to keep South Australians safe?”

‘Hard pill to swallow’

Australian softballer Bel White returned to Adelaide this morning.

Bel White said she wasn’t mentally prepared for a second period of quarantine. (

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She said while she was disappointed with having to quarantine again, she was happy to be home.

“It’s unfortunate, but I’m just glad to be home and can get these 14 days over and done with so I can get back to work and see my family,” she said.

“It is disappointing. It hurts that I’ve just seen all my friends and teammates go straight home to their families — although they’re in lockdown, they at least get to see their family.

“I can’t quarantine with anyone because it affects them, so, it definitely hurts.

White said she was mentally prepared for the hotel quarantine in Sydney, but had not been able to mentally prepare for a second quarantine as she had only been told about the requirement this week.

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