Adelaide, South Australia: Three more cases have been added to South Australia’s Parafield Cluster, taking the total number of confirmed and suspected cases linked to the cluster to 23. In a reassuring statement, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the new cases were among close contacts and there were “no cases of community transmission in South Australia outside of the cluster”.
The three new cases were added after test results of more than 5,000 people were received till midday Tuesday, as per SA Premier Steven Marshall. The Premier also said that the virus may have spread from a quarantine hotel by a staff member who is believed to have touched a contaminated surface.
It is believed a staff working at Peppers Waymouth Hotel in Adelaide, where dozens of international returnees are quarantining, may have contracted the virus from a contaminated surface. Two security guards working at the hotel have also tested positive for Covid-19, and is believed to have been transmitted by the same staffer.
Travellers quarantining at the hotel, on Monday received a letter, which said that they will have to restart their 14-day quarantine, and that they will be moved to another facility. This includes all travellers at the hotel – including those who were supposed to finisht their 14 day isolation on Tuesday. SA’s government has said that travellers will not have to pay for their extra stay.
Meanwhile, SA has been quick to act to the new outbreak – restrictions have been re-imposed for two weeks which include closure of gyms, and other restrictions on public gatherings. All international arrivals bringing home returning Australians have been suspended for a week and community testing has been ramped up – with the state testing a record amount of people on Monday.
