South Australian truck driver tests positive for COVID-19

A truck driver who works between SA and Victoria has been confirmed to have COVID-19, forcing his family into quarantine and raising concerns around petrol station exposure sites.

South Australia Premier Steven Marshall speaks to the media during a press conference in Adelaide.

South Australia Premier Steven Marshall speaks to the media during a press conference in Adelaide. Source: NCA NEWSWIRE POOL

A South Australian truck driver has tested positive for COVID-19, with the case picked up following a test at Tailem Bend, east of Adelaide.

Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said the man, in his 20s, routinely drove across the SA border and had tested negative on 26 September.

He was tested again on Wednesday night with the positive result returned on Thursday morning.

While he lives in Adelaide, he is currently in Victoria and complying with that state's isolation requirements.
He has already received one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and was due to have his second dose later this week.

Professor Spurrier said further testing had identified the man's case had been caught early in his infectious period and tests on his family, including his wife and young child, had all come back negative.

They have all been placed in home quarantine.

"I'm very hopeful we won't have any community transmission as a result of this," she said.

However, five petrol stations have been identified as potential tier-one exposure sites and anybody who visited at the same time as the truckie must also go into insolation and get tested.

The case came after Premier Steven Marshall said authorities were becoming increasingly concerned with the growing number of coronavirus cases in Victoria and reports of new cases in Queensland.
South Australia Chief Health Officer Nicola Spurrier speaks to the media during a press conference in Adelaide.
South Australia Chief Health Officer Nicola Spurrier speaks to the media during a press conference in Adelaide. Source: NCA NEWSWIRE POOL
SA has imposed new travel restrictions for people coming from Brisbane, the Gold Coast and nearby areas with arrivals required to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative result.

A hard border remains in place with Victoria, where 1,438 new virus infections were reported on Thursday.

Mr Marshall said while it was up to everyone to make their own arrangements, it was his strong message for people to reconsider their need to travel to Queensland.

"The fact that there were six new cases in Queensland today should be ringing some alarm bells," he said.

"We will have to move quickly if we need to keep the Delta strain out of South Australia."
But the premier said while it was too early to tell what arrangements might be in place come Christmas, South Australia remained committed to ending the need for statewide lockdowns and whole-of-state lockouts.

He said the best way forward was for as many people as possible to get vaccinated against the virus.

Mr Marshall said he expected SA to hit 50 per cent of eligible people being double vaccinated on Friday.


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3 min read
Published 30 September 2021 5:33pm
Updated 30 September 2021 5:59pm
Source: AAP, SBS


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