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- South Australian officials have announced an early end to strict lockdown conditions, amid cluster clarification
- Premier Steven Marshall has revealed one of the cases responsible for this COVID-19 outbreak, a pizza shop employee, had lied about working there
- The person claimed they were a customer at the shop and that’s how they’d contracted the virus, prompting authorities to initiate a lockdown
- Since the clarification and minimal new cases of the virus have been detected, Premier Marshall has ordered lockdown conditions to lift on Saturday
- South Australians are also able to head outside for exercise, after previously being told to stay at home
South Australian officials have announced an early end to the strictest lockdown ever seen in Australia.
The decision to lift the restrictions three days early comes amid an update on the COVID-19 cluster which sparked the entire lockdown.
All up, 25 people are confirmed to have contracted the virus in Adelaide’s north, which is thought to have originated from a worker at one of the state’s quarantine hotels.
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has today revealed one of the infected persons from that cluster had lied to contact tracers about their involvement with a known hot spot, a pizza shop.
Specifically, the person had told health officials they were just a customer at the shop, instead of revealing they were actually a worker.
The fleeting nature of the person’s interaction at the shop, where its believed they contracted COVID-19, was one of the key reasons authorities implemented a tough six-day lockdown in South Australia.
“One of the close contacts linked to the Woodville Pizza Bar deliberately misled the contact tracing team,” Premier Marshall explained,
“We know now that they lied. To say that I’m fuming is an understatement, we’re absolutely livid about the actions of this individual,” he added.
“I will not let the disgraceful conduct of a single individual keep SA in these circuit breaker conditions one day longer than what is necessary.”
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall
“However, this lie still means that our contact tracers need breathing space to contact people, but not for as long,” the Premier concluded.
The lockdown is now slated to end at midnight on Saturday, November 21, three days earlier than planned.
At that point almost all restrictions will ease for most non-essential businesses, allowing residents to travel freely again.
Authorities have also allowed residents to begin exercising outside again — effective immediately.
