South Australia records one new case of COVID-19

South Australia has recorded one new case of COVID-19 in a truck driver who has travelled to and from Melbourne for work. 

SA Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said the South Australian man, who is in his 20s, tested negative on September 26 before recording a positive test yesterday in Tailem Bend.

“And so that’s very reassuring to us … that we’ve picked this up as an early positive,” she said.

The man’s household contacts including his wife, his child and his wife’s parents, have tested negative so far but they will all go into quarantine.

The man has received his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and was due to have his second dose this week, while his wife and her parents have been fully vaccinated.

His wife works in aged care but Professor Spurrier said all of the staff at the aged care centre were vaccinated and 94 per cent of residents were vaccinated.

Professor Spurrier also said his child attends childcare but “there was no need for concern” as the child had tested negative and was now in quarantine.

The man was currently in Victoria, Professor Spurrier said, and did not have any symptoms.

Meanwhile, five petrol stations in Wingfield, Bolivar Gardens, Windsor Gardens and Keith have been identified as exposure sites connected to the man on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Check the table below to find the sites and exposure windows.

You can also find information on testing site hours and the nearest site to you on the SA Health website.

“We don’t have any further public exposure sites with this case and I’m very hopeful we won’t have any community transmission as a result of this,” Professor Spurrier said.

Professor Spurrier also highlighted that South Australia has hit a vaccination milestone, with 50 per cent of its population aged 16 years and over now fully vaccinated.

Earlier this month, 10 exposure sites were listed in connection with a truck driver who travelled through South Australia twice before testing positive in New South Wales.

AMA meets with SA Health to discuss border reopening

The president of the Australian Medical Association’s South Australian branch met with SA Health officials today to discuss what will happen when the borders open to states such as New South Wales and Victoria.

SA Health told Michelle Atchison that there could be 4,000 active cases at once in the state during a predicted surge.

“That is, of course, a number that would completely overwhelm any health system. So, of course, we need to get on and plan how the health system is going to manage that,” Dr Atchison said.

A plan of what to do when that happens is at least three weeks to a month away, Dr Atchison said.

But she was reassured that it was “on track”.

“We are concerned it’s going to take another three weeks to a month or so before that plan is properly prepared and able to be put forward to the public,” she said.

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