The South Australian government has opened a dedicated testing clinic at Tanunda War Memorial Hospital today for people in the Barossa Valley with symptoms of COVID-19.
It follows a group of American tourists testing positive for the virus in the area earlier this month.
Sixteen of the 20 tourists tested positive to coronavirus, with one infected couple defying quarantine restrictions and fleeing the country.
Premier Steven Marshall said: “It’s disgraceful behaviour. They’ve put the lives of other Australians in jeopardy.”
South Australia now has 299 confirmed cases of the virus. South Australia’s chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said a cluster of 34 positive cases from the region had been linked to two groups of tourists from the US and Switzerland.
At least two workers have tested positive from the Lyndoch Hill winery, while a group of South Australians who celebrated a wedding at the same time as the American tourists visited have been told to self-isolate.
The towns of Tanunda, Nuriootpa, Williamstown, Angaston and Lyndoch have all been identified as of high concern.
Schools and childcare centres in the Barossa Valley will be shut from today to help control the spread of the virus.
“What we’re trying to do is reduce non-essential travel in that area,” Dr Suppier said.
“It’s not that the schools themselves are considered at risk, but it is a way of reducing the amount of travel.”
The schools are expected to reopen after the holidays.
Dr Spurrier urged people in the area to restrict their movement as much as possible and asked people to avoid travelling in or out of the region.
She also urged anyone who had travelled to the region since Saturday March 14 to immediately self-isolate and seek testing if symptoms developed.
However, Dr Spurrier said the State Government did not want to interrupt the grape harvest, which has been classified as an essential service.
“Obviously with the grape harvest commencing or about to commence, this is not going to be possible for many workers and we do not want to interrupt the important process of the grape harvest,” she said.
“So if you still need to go to work can you please follow the special distancing recommendations of 1.5 metres, be very mindful of your hygiene and if you are sick please do not go to to work but go and get a test done.”
