South Australia is poised to lock out travellers from Melbourne after further COVID-19 cases were linked to a hotel quarantine outbreak in Victoria.
The lockout is scheduled to come into effect from midnight on Wednesday, although authorities say they are yet to make a final call on whether to proceed.
Returning SA residents, people relocating and other exempt travellers would still be allowed in but would need to quarantine for 14 days.
“It’s a very dynamic and moving situation,” Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said.
“Our steps in South Australia are taken with an abundance of caution to make sure we’re minimising the risk but at the same time, not taking steps that aren’t deemed to be necessary.
“As soon as we have further information from the Victorian authorities, we’ll be making those changes.”
Regional Victoria and cross-border communities are not affected by the planned restrictions.
It comes after two new infections were detected at Melbourne’s Holiday Inn quarantine hotel, bringing the total number of cases linked to the outbreak to eight. They include three workers, two released guests and a family of three no longer staying at the hotel.
Authorities believe a medical device in the family’s room could be to blame for the cluster.
Chief Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said she was “very concerned” by the Victorian outbreak, comparing it to the cluster in South Australia which prompted a snap lockdown.
“We know what happened when we had the Parafield cluster here in South Australia,” she said.
“But on the other hand … we’re in better positions all around Australia. Our contact tracing is much more sophisticated.
“I know, because we have very constant conversations with Victoria, that their contact tracing is absolutely fabulous. Their testing is really, really good.”
People entering SA are currently required to get three COVID-19 tests if they come from Greater Melbourne in Victoria, Greater Sydney, Wollongong and the Central Coast in NSW and Perth, Peel and the southwest in Western Australia.
The only exception is people who attended the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Melbourne between 21 and 31 January, who must quarantine for 14 days.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your jurisdiction’s restrictions on gathering limits.
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080. News and information is available in 63 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirus.
Please check the relevant guidelines for your state or territory: NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Northern Territory, ACT, Tasmania.
