SA jab order deadline extended for interstate truckies, essential workers
A state-ordered deadline for interstate truck drivers and essential workers crossing into South Australia to have had at least one COVID-19 vaccination before the end of this month has been extended into October.
SA Police issued an updated Emergency Management (Cross Border Travel) direction yesterday afternoon, with the changes effective immediately.
Where the previous order mandated that commercial transport and freight workers entering South Australia must have had at least TGA-approved COVID-19 vaccination by Monday September 27, the date has now been pushed back to 12.01am on Thursday, October 7.
Further, a deadline for essential travellers and workers entering South Australia to have one at least one COVID-19 vaccination by today, Friday September 24 has been extended to 12.01am on Monday, October 11.
The changes came after SA Health revealed that 130 South Australians had been ordered into quarantine after visiting exposure sites visited by a NSW truck driver who tested positive after two trips through the state to Western Australia and back.
SA Health yesterday listed 10 exposures sites associated with the man in his 20s, who tested negative before beginning his cross-country journey and has had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
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Deputy chief public health officer Dr Emily Kirkpatrick said SA Health have been able to identify and direct into quarantine 126 people who QR coded in at an exposure site, while another four people had come forward after filling out an SA Health survey.
“We’ll of course now be going through bank records, obtaining additional details from the petrol stations in particular with petrol cards [and] fuel cards,” Kirkpatrick said.
“And we’ll be making sure to tie up any loose ends with CCTV, and of course assistance from SAPOL.
“We know that this individual was symptomatic here on the 18th of September, so we absolutely need to be following up these sites ensuring that the South Australian community knows this is a real risk for us.
“We need to remain very vigilant that this is a real risk coming over from the eastern states.”
