A South Australian miner who contracted Covid-19 is so ill that he might need to be hospitalised as his baby became the final member of the family to be diagnosed with the virus.
Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier told reporters the man, who worked at the Northern Territory Tanami mine site where positive virus cases have popped up, might need another assessment in hospital.
“Unfortunately, the miner is still very unwell and he may be needing to go to the Royal Adelaide for another assessment,” Professor Nicola Spurrier said.
“My understanding is that the (infant) child remains clinically well.
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READ NOW“They have absolutely followed every bit of health advice.”
The miner tested negative when he returned to South Australia last Friday, but then became positive.
He and his wife are both aged in their 30s, while their four children are all aged under 10.
The entire family has tested positive and are quarantining at Tom’s Court hotel, which has been dedicated for Covid patients.
“Our thoughts are with this family,” Premier Steven Marshall said.
Authorities have identified 344 close contacts and 134 secondary contacts, with social contacts including grandparents and people who dropped off food for the family.
“There were 17 (social contact) people, and 100 per cent of those have been tested and all results have returned negative,” Professor Spurrier said.
A further 14 people at a KFC have also been tested, with 90 per cent of results so far returning negative, including the person who served the man.
Regarding the flight he was on, Professor Spurrier said there were 121 people on the manifest, but there were duplicates so it was actually 116 people.
“All of those people have been contacted. There are three people that we are yet to confirm that they’ve been tested,” she said.
But Professor Spurrier said she was not concerned about that.
Two people on the flight had travelled to a remote Aboriginal community, but they tested negative and will return to Adelaide to complete their quarantine.
“Over 75 per cent of all of those people on the flight have returned a negative result out of all of those people that have been tested,” Professor Spurrier said on Friday.
“We’ll be chasing up the rest of those 25 per cent of results this morning.”
CCTV footage at the airport has also been reviewed.
“That guy moved really fast. He was four-and-a-half minutes actually in the airport … didn’t stop anywhere and then went to he pick up zone,” Professor Spurrier said.
“He was not close to anybody during that period of time.”
It means 178 people quarantining because they were at the airport have been downgraded to casual contacts, but they will still need to be tested on day 13.
More than 11,000 coronavirus tests were conducted on Thursday and Professor Spurrier urged anyone with symptoms to get tested.
South Australia also recorded another new case overnight — a man aged in his 60s, who returned from overseas.
The state’s one new local case was the miner’s baby.
Mr Marshall said there would be no change to restrictions until at least next week.
“It’s still a dangerous situation for the country,” he said.
“There won’t be a further increase in restrictions put in place here in South Australia, but also there won’t be a reduction immediately.
“We think we’ve got the balance right.”
Mr Marshall also urged everyone eligible to get the Covid-19 vaccine.