South Australia plans six-day lockdown after virus outbreak
People queue at a supermarket after the South Australian state govt announced a six-day lockdown in Adelaide. AFP
Gulf Today
The state of South Australia announced a six-day "circuit-breaker" lockdown for its nearly two million people to contain a sudden coronavirus cluster on Wednesday in South Australia’s capital, Adelaide that ended a months-long streak of no infections.
Schools, restaurants and factories were told to close at midnight while stay-at-home orders were issued for residents across the state.
A total of 22 cases have now been linked to a cluster that emerged from an Adelaide hotel used to quarantine travellers from overseas.
"We are going hard and we are going early," state premier Steven Marshall said. "Time is of the essence and we must act swiftly and decisively. We cannot wait to see how bad this becomes."
South Australia’s new restrictions come amid fears the latest outbreak has the potential to infect high-risk populations, with care workers and a prison guard among those testing positive.
The state is the first in Australia to issue a blanket ban on outdoor exercise, and mask-wearing will be required across the state, which had not recorded a significant outbreak since April.
The measures stand in stark contrast to the United States -- where some politicians are refusing to implement basic virus measures even as case numbers surge -- or Europe, where lockdowns were introduced only after infections spiralled.
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Chief health officer Nicola Spurrier said the infections appeared to be caused by a particularly virulent strain that was spreading "very, very rapidly", with people becoming contagious within 24 hours.
"I cannot be making this decision in two or three weeks' time or even two or three days' time because it is going to be too late," she said.
Since the cluster was confirmed officials had begun ordering thousands of suspected close contacts to self-isolate, and suspended international flights.
Melbourne, which recorded thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths at the height of its outbreak, has begun easing restrictions after more than two weeks without any new cases.
Other regions, where the virus has largely been stamped out, have imposed new quarantine rules on anyone travelling from South Australia.
The country’s internal borders had been gradually reopening and were due to be almost fully reopened by Christmas.
Australia has been relatively successful in containing the virus, with just over 27,700 cases and 907 deaths recorded since the pandemic began.
