South Australia’s strict lockdown will be lifted early due to a positive case misleading tracing authorities about their whereabouts.
Just as quickly as South Australia was plunged into a state-wide lockdown at midnight yesterday, it appears the state will once again be pulled out of it, after a crucial piece of information turned out to be false.
The information in question revolved around an individual who had tested positive for COVID-19 (and prompted the emergency lockdown). According to authorities, they had originally told contract tracers they’d purchased a pizza from Woodville Pizza Bar – but turns out, they’d actually worked at the pizza bar with a colleague who’d contracted the virus whilst working a second job as a security guard in Adelaide’s hotel quarantine program.
SA Premier Steven Marshall has said that he is “fuming” about the individual’s lie to contact tracers. In a statement, he described: “His actions have affected businesses, individuals, family groups and is completely and utterly unacceptable.”
The most dangerous cluster in South Australia are the three stooges who took us into this lockdown.
Is a ‘new killer strain’ of incompetence. #Coronagate
— Cory Bernardi (@corybernardi) November 20, 2020
In terms of penalties, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said that the individual who lied to authorities would not be fined or charged for his actions, adding that he has to “ensure an increased penalty wouldn’t force information underground”.
Authorities are now focusing on tracking the individual’s close contacts in an attempt to prevent “the risk of this particular strain spreading further into the community.”
Victoria: 6 week lockdown turns into 6 months,
South Australia: 6 day lockdown turns into 3 days“Why would anyone want to go to South Australia” @DanielAndrewsMP
— 🇦🇺 ARMO 🇦🇺 (@armomelb) November 20, 2020
This comes at a time where SA has recorded three new coronavirus cases, all of which were already in quarantine and were close contacts of staff at a medi-hotel and an aged care home.
