Website of the Year

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
World

Covid 19 coronavirus: South Australian cluster grows as hundreds urged to get tested

2 minutes to read

Adelaide is facing a second wave of coronavirus after a cluster doubles in size. Photo / Getty

news.com.au

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 cleaning.

Read More

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.

TO READ THE HERALD'S FULL CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE CLICK HERE

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.