Nicola Spurrier: South Australian top doctor refuses to change close contact rules

South Australia‘s top doctor has insisted that her state’s definition of a ‘close contact’ remains in place, despite a new definition agreed to by national cabinet.

In an interview with ABC local radio on Friday, Professor Nicola Spurrier said in SA a close contact is someone exposed for 15 minutes or longer. 

The comments from Professor Spurrier – who famously once told South Australians ‘do not touch’ a footy if kicked into the crowd – caused confusion.

The remarks appeared to be at odds with the agreed definition of close contacts which emerged from national cabinet yesterday.  

A close contact in South Australia will include anyone who’s spent more than 15 minutes with an infected person in a ‘setting where there has been significant transmission’, including face-to-face contact with a positive person in a high-risk community setting or workplace

Professor Spurrier said the four-hour rule had not been agreed to by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), which was the peak body responsible for public health measures in Australia.

‘That wasn’t something that we had agreed to at AHPPC,’ she said. 

‘It’s not in the document that certainly I was involved with but, you know, I’m not at national cabinet.’

SA Health clarified the chief health officer’s remarks in a later social media post.

As well as household contacts, a close contact in the state will include anyone who’s spent more than 15 minutes with an infected person in a ‘setting where there has been significant transmission’.

The definition also includes anyone who has had more than 15 minutes of face-to-face contact with a positive person in a high-risk community setting or workplace.

 ‘I don’t think we had an agreement on the four hours,’ Premier Steven Marshall said on Friday afternoon.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall said the 15 minute rule is in addition to household rules

‘We basically narrowed it down to those two areas of commonality, where household and intimate contacts were automatically determined as close contacts.

‘But in addition to that, we have a state by state exemption.

‘Our two areas are for vulnerable communities and where we have identified transmission sites.’

Mr Marshall told reporters there were ‘millions and millions of different variations’ on contact with a positive person. 

‘The reality is, it is variable – if you have had dinner with somebody who (is) symptomatic and a positive case … I think the likelihood is you’ve probably got a high chance of getting it. I’d be getting a PCR test.

‘But just so you know there are millions and millions of different variations of that precise matter and so you cannot be providing a matrix on every single outcome.’

Fully vaccinated international travellers will no longer need to isolate after landing in South Australia and Covid-19 border rules for domestic arrivals have been scrapped. Pictured: A couple reunite at Adelaide Airport

Meanwhile, fully vaccinated international travellers will no longer need to isolate after landing in South Australia and Covid-19 border rules for domestic arrivals have been scrapped.

Mr Marshall announced the major border changes on Friday when confirming 2093 new infections from 25,943 tests, and the deaths of two aged-care residents with the virus.

‘This is in line with the very steep increases that we’re seeing right around the country,’ Mr Marshall said.

There are 44 people in SA hospitals with the virus, of which four are in intensive care including one on a ventilator, but all are in a stable condition.

Days after moving from PCR tests to rapid antigen tests for incoming travellers, the state has ditched test and permit requirements altogether, effective immediately.

‘It was not a good use of our resources at the moment, and so the entry check requirement has been removed,’ Mr Marshall told reporters.

‘The rapid antigen test requirement has been removed, but we are asking all of those people coming from interstate into SA to observe exactly the same situation that we require of all SA, and that is to monitor their symptoms and to take action should they develop any symptoms.’

Double-vaccinated international travellers will also no longer need to isolate on arrival from midnight Friday.

Unvaccinated international travellers must isolate.

The government has also made the third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for workers in hospitals, aged care, residential aged care and residential disability sectors.

On Thursday Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced changes from national cabinet on the definition of a ‘close contact’, as someone who spent four hours or more with a positive case in a household or intimate setting

On Thursday Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced changes from national cabinet on the definition of a ‘close contact’, as someone who spent four hours or more with a positive case in a household or intimate setting.

Positive cases, regardless of vaccination status, will be able to leave isolation after seven days from their positive test.

But SA will continue with a 10-day quarantine period for cases and close contacts and is not following the national definition, pointing to its different circumstances such as lower case numbers, and is instead classifying a close contact as someone living or intimate with a positive case.