Severe restrictions have been thrown over three local government areas as COVID-19 fears sweep the greater Mount Gambier area.
The new restrictions follow a Mount Gambier woman testing positive to the virus on the weekend and subsequently being taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment.
The woman initially told authorities she had contracted the virus after staying with relatives in Casterton before returning to Mount Gambier.
She was tested at the Mount Gambier Showgrounds drive-through testing facility on Friday, with her positive result announced on Sunday. Authorities said she had isolated at home with her four teenaged children.
However, yesterday news emerged the woman may have not travelled from Casterton, with an email circulating from the Casterton Memorial Hospital that she had actually been in Melbourne.
The email, which has been sighted by The SE Voice, states the woman’s story “has been found to be a non-truth”.
The email reads that “the woman has travelled we understand directly from Melbourne and through Casterton”.
“She has used Casterton as an excuse to SA Police to get through our bubble zone into SA. We understand the SA Premier will be providing some advice on our border restrictions …” the email said.
SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens announced new restrictions, which came into effect immediately, in a press conference late yesterday.
The restrictions include density requirements cut to one person per four square metres, limiting two visitors to homes, restricting private activities to a maximum of 10 people and a ban on all sports and private functions. The restrictions will be in place for seven days, with authorities to review the situation in coming days.
Chief medical officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said SA Health contact tracers had identified 12 primary close contacts, including the woman’s children.
“The good news is that we already have 10 negative tests,” she said.
“We also have 21 secondary close contacts and of those there are five negative tests back already.”
Prof Spurrier would not be drawn on claims the woman had misled authorities about her travels.
“There are a number of reasons why people do not tell us … they might be frightened … yes she is cooperating with us, she spent the night at the RAH and I’m sure she’s worried about her children, she’s in Tom’s Court at the moment,” she said.
Commissioner Stevens said police were “certainly investigating this person’s movements up to and including the time this person tested positive”.
“We will be looking at as much as we possibly can,” he said.
“Contact tracing is working with her and SA Police are working with them.”
The positive case prompted South Australian authorities to reduce the border bubble from 70km to 30km, with directions also being made to require weekly testing for cross border community members, as well as a requirement they have had at least one vaccination before entering SA.
