1 month ago
27 South Australia is dealing with its worst cluster in history with 17 people now testing positive and hundreds more in isolation.
news.com.au November 16, 2020 6:23AM
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Last updated November 16, 2020 9:33AM AEDT
South Australia's worst cluster to date has gone from bad to worse with 17 cases now tied to the family outbreak.
Speaking to Adelaide’s 5AA Radio this morning, South Australia’s chief public health officer Dr Nicola Spurrier confirmed the Parafield cluster was growing at a rapid rate.
Hungry Jacks Port Adelaide has also been closed and is the latest venue to shut for deep cleanign.
Dr Spurrier described the outbreak as “very serious”.
South Australia yesterday reported three local coronavirus cases among a family that has members working in hotel quarantine, aged and health care and a large prison.
A woman in her 80s tested positive at the Lyell McEwin Hospital emergency department on Friday night. Two of the woman’s close contacts – a woman in her 50s and a man in his 60s – also tested positive yesterday. One of the infected people is the elderly woman’s child.
Dr Spurrier said one of them worked in Adelaide’s CBD at one of the state’s medi-hotels — where returned travellers quarantine for two weeks.
Another close contact from the family also tested positive late on Sunday with SA Correctional Services chief executive David Brown confirming an employee at Yatala Labour Prison in Adelaide’s northern suburbs had tested positive.
Four more members of the family were showing symptoms late yesterday with original estimates suggesting the cluster could grow to eight.
The state’s last case of unknown community transmission was more than seven months ago – on April 15.
The outbreak triggered warnings and closures across Adelaide with Mawson Lakes primary and preschool shut down for at least 24 hours after a student was confirmed to be a close contact of a confirmed case.
South Australian passengers were also hit with a two week quarantine mandate after landing in Western Australia with the government ordering them to either return home or self-isolate for a fortnight.
Follow our coronavirus blog for live updates below.
Live Updates
Frank Chung
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been ordered to self-isolate after coming into contact with an MP who has coronavirus.
Mr Johnson was notified by the National Health Service test and trace team that he would have to remain isolated after meeting last Thursday with Lee Anderson, who has since tested positive for COVID-19.
Today I was notified by NHS Test and Trace that I must self-isolate as I have been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
I have no symptoms, but am following the rules and will be working from No10 as I continue to lead the government’s pandemic response.
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“The Prime Minister has today been notified by NHS Test and Trace that he is required to self-isolate as a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19,” a Downing Street spokesman told The Sun.
“The Prime Minister will follow the rules and is self-isolating. He will carry on working from Downing Street, including on leading the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.”
The 56-year-old spent three days in intensive care after contracting the virus in March.
It was later revealed his condition was so grave that doctors prepared to announce his death.
Natalie Wolfe
A number of sentence hearings and schedule trials will be delayed this week after an employee at Yatala Labour Prison, in the north of Adelaide, tested positive for coronavirus.
The Advertiser's chief court reporter Sean Fewster said contact tracing in the prison had forced a number of court dates to be pushed.
#BREAKING: @theTiser understands NO Yatala Labour Prison inmates will be brought to SA's courts today as #covid19SA contact tracing from the weekend's cluster continues. Several scheduled trials and sentencings hearings delayed as a result.
— Sean Fewster (@SeanFewster) November 15, 2020Frank Chung
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been ordered to self-isolate after coming into contact with an MP who has coronavirus.
Mr Johnson was notified by the National Health Service test and trace team that he would have to remain isolated after meeting last Thursday with Lee Anderson, who has since tested positive for COVID-19.
Today I was notified by NHS Test and Trace that I must self-isolate as I have been in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
I have no symptoms, but am following the rules and will be working from No10 as I continue to lead the government’s pandemic response.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
“The Prime Minister has today been notified by NHS Test and Trace that he is required to self-isolate as a contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19,” a Downing Street spokesman told The Sun.
“The Prime Minister will follow the rules and is self-isolating. He will carry on working from Downing Street, including on leading the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.”
The 56-year-old spent three days in intensive care after contracting the virus in March. It was later revealed his condition was so grave that doctors prepared to announce his death.
Natalie Wolfe
Victoria continues its streak of no new coronavirus infections with another double doughnut day.
The state did see a dramatic drop in testing, with just under 6700 Victorians getting tested.
Three active cases remain.
Yesterday there were 0 new cases, 0 lives lost and 0 cases with an unknown source reported. Three active cases remain. There were 6,695 test results received – thank you, #EveryTestHelps
Information: https://t.co/eTputEZdhs#StaySafeStayOpen #COVID19Vic pic.twitter.com/8d9Ds697Iw
Natalie Wolfe
Another school has closed in Adelaide due to a confirmed coronavirus case.
Thomas More College, in the north of Adelaide, announced via Facebook it would be shutting for at least 24 hours after a student tested positive.
The school closure comes the same morning Hungry Jacks in Port Adelaide was forced to close for a deep clean.
Natalie Wolfe
Chief public health officer Dr Nicola Spurrier also spoke to ABC Adelaide this morning.
Of the 17 cases linked to the cluster, 15 are from the same family and all are believed to have come from the person who was working at a medi-hotel in Adelaide.
The remaining two cases are not family members but they are linked to the same outbreak.
Two of the 17 cases are aged care workers and both worked while infectious at the same facility.
Despite health authorities still doing genomic sequencing to figure out where the outbreak originated from, Dr Spurrier said it was "very clear" the cluster had started from a medi-hotel.
Dr Spurrier said some travellers returning to Adelaide may see their flight cancelled or diverted as the state works to bring the cluster under control.
Two cases are in the Royal Adelaide Hospital due to their age, not because they are suffering serious symptoms, she added.
All positive cases from the family cluster are in medi-hotels.
Natalie Wolfe
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed the government has offered help to South Australia after the state's cluster grew to 17 cases.
"This is obviously a matter of concern. We've offered the Australian Defence Force and any resources that are required will be provided," Mr Hunt told Sky News.
"We're confident that South Australia has outstanding testing, contact tracing and isolation capability.
"But these are exactly the types of incidents for which Australia has been preparing for."
Natalie Wolfe
South Australia's cluster has gone from bad to worse with 17 cases now tied to the family outbreak.
Speaking to Adelaide's 5AA radio this morning, chief public health officer Dr Nicole Spurrier confirmed the Parafield cluster had grown.
Hungry Jacks Port Adelaide has also been closed.
Dr Spurrier described the outbreak as "very serious".
Natalie Wolfe
South Australian health authorities are racing to squash its worst coronavirus cluster after four people tested positive yesterday and four more from the same family started showing symptoms.
Dozens of people have been asked to self-isolate for two weeks while other venues and places have issued warnings to be aware for symptoms.
Emergency Department at Lyell McEwin Hospital between 5:30pm Friday 13 November and 4:00am Saturday 14 November: Health authorities are in the process of contacting everyone who was there to self-isolate immediately. Around 90 staff and patients will isolate for the next two weeks. SA Health has advised anyone who was in emergency to self-isolate immediately, even if they haven't heard from health authorities yet.Yatala Labour Prison: Prisoners are being tested after an employee, a close contact of the family cluster, tested positive late yesterdayParafield Plaza Supermarket – Thursday November 12 – Between 10:30am and 11:30am: Anyone who visited the supermarket in that hour does not have to self-isolate but has been advised to monitor for symptoms and immediately get tested and isolate if they appear.Mawson Lakes Primary School: SA Health last night confirmed it was closing the school, in Adelaide's north, out of "an abundance of caution". The school will stay closed for at least 24 hours after a student was a confirmed close contact of a positive case.Natalie Wolfe
Victoria Police have swarmed an illegal beach party after dozens of people were spotted congregating in south-east Melbourne.
Footage from the party showed a massive crowd bunching together on the sand at the secluded Black Rock beach.
Nobody in the crowd appeared to be wearing masks and most of the revellers were dressed in shorts or bikinis as they danced and drank.
Victoria Police attended and told the party to moev along however no fines were issued.
Melburnians are currently restricted to public gatherings of 10 people – and masks are mandatory.
Under Victoria's current restriction roadmap, up to 50 people will be allowed to gather outdoors from November 22.
Masks will likely still be required however the blanket mask mandate is up for discussion.
Picture: 7 News
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