South Australian health authorities say five COVID-positive truck drivers have travelled through the state in the past six days, while new wastewater testing results have revealed traces of the virus in Adelaide’s north and south.

Key points:

  • Authorities became aware of three new cases in truck drivers on Tuesday and Wednesday, in addition to two identified last week
  • SA Health has also expressed concern over positive wastewater testing results 
  • One of those is in Adelaide’s south, including several suburbs and triggering fears of undiagnosed cases

There are now 20 exposure sites across the state, from Nundroo and Ceduna in the west, to Port Augusta, Port Wakefield, Adelaide and Tailem Bend.

Authorities say there is no evidence of transmission from the five cases, but dozens of contacts of each driver have been ordered into isolation.

“I have another little bit of concern here to pass on. We, as people know, do regular wastewater testing in South Australia and I was informed about two positive wastewater tests late yesterday,” SA Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said.

One of those is in the Salisbury area, while the other in Adelaide’s south includes the suburbs of Hallett Cove, Lonsdale, Morphett Vale, Reynella and Sheidow Park.

Professor Spurrier said her hope was that the Salisbury result was an after-effect of the state’s Modbury cluster, and was from people who “have had COVID and are still shedding the virus”, but expressed unease about what the southern suburbs result might indicate.

“Until we have lots and lots of people getting tested I can’t feel reassured that we don’t have community transmission.

“Those two sites — there’ll be another collection taken today and we’ll have results back later this afternoon or this evening, and we will be really hoping particularly that site in the southern part of Adelaide will be negative.

“We don’t happen to have any cases that we know about or old cases in that particular area, so it would be very important if anybody in that area has symptoms, [they] go and get tested.”

Professor Spurrier said further wastewater testing was being undertaken.(

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The five truck drivers who have tested positive include two identified over the weekend, who travelled together through northern and western South Australia twice last week.

Professor Spurrier said she became aware on Tuesday of another truck driver who had tested positive, and that the other two cases had been revealed on Wednesday.

She said the latest cases were “distinct” and not the result of community transmission, but that the growing number was “concerning news for South Australia”.

“We’ve now had five positive cases in truck drivers in the past six days,” she said.

“My team have said to me that their understanding is these five truck drivers were absolutely doing the right thing.

“It is, for me, a real wake-up call for us in South Australia. The risk from New South Wales and also Victoria is not going away, it is a very real risk for everybody.”

New exposure sites as SA ‘under extreme time pressure’

Professor Spurrier said the third truck driver, from NSW, had been tested on August 28 before travelling into SA and returning a positive result on Monday.

She said SA Health had identified 144 contacts of that individual, with 40 people directed into quarantine.

“The team is trying to prevent a lockdown by getting onto all of the close contacts,” she said.

“But of course we need the help of the South Australian public to do that and that’s why we ask people to please QR check-in, even if you’re just stopping for petrol and it’s very quick it’s so important that you do that QR check-in.”

The AH Beard bedding and mattress store at Edwardstown is among the new exposure sites.(

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The fourth driver is a man in his 20s who travelled into SA, after previously being in NSW and Victoria.

He was tested on his way back to Victoria yesterday and has returned a positive result.

“During his time in our state there have been four exposure sites,” Professor Spurrier said.

Those sites and times are as follows:

Site

Exposure time

Health advice

TASCO Caltex Tailem Bend, 8786 Princes Highway, Tailem Bend

Tuesday, August 31, 1:30pm — 2:45pm

Tier 1 — Get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days with your household

Caltex Wingfield/Ampol Foodary, 664-668 South Rd, Wingfield

Monday, August 30, 5:30am — 6:40am

Tier 2 — Get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days

A.H. Beard,

838 South Road, Edwardstown

Tuesday, August 31, 8:00am — 12:30pm

Tier 4 — Monitor for symptoms

Atlas Steels,

425-431 Grand Junction Road, Wingfield

Tuesday, August 31, 7:00am — 9:00am

Tier 4 — Monitor for symptoms

The fifth truck driver’s case came to light this afternoon, but details are still being clarified.

“This has been a very recent result. My team is currently interviewing this person,” Professor Spurrier said.

“Once we have the details of the exposure sites from this fifth person, we’ll be putting them up on our website.

The Ampol Foodary and petrol station at Wingfield.(

ABC News: Simon Christie

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Professor Spurrier said the question of what vaccination requirements truck drivers should face was a matter for national discussion.

“This is something that, on my understanding, will go to National Cabinet and it would be good if we had it as part of that national freight policy and framework because this is an industry that goes right across Australia,” she said.

But the trucking industry said making vaccination mandatory for drivers would have consequences on the movement of freight, and ultimately on consumers.

“If we lost 10 to 15 per cent of the freight coming in because those drivers aren’t vaccinated or couldn’t get bookings you’ll go to the supermarket and you’ll progressively see things disappearing from the shelves because it’s not coming in fast enough,” SA Road Transport Association executive officer Steve Shearer said.

“Trucking is like the cardiovascular system in our body. It moves all the stuff around that needs to be moved.”

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