The government of South Australia imposed a six-day Coronavirus lockdown in the state after a rise in cases. However, the reason for the sudden strict lockdown is based on a “lie”. A man who tested positive lied to contact tracers which resulted in the authorities assuming that a highly contagious outbreak was possible. After they discovered the truth, the authorities declared that they would life the restrictions soon across the state.
This sudden new announcement arrived two days after the state government restricted people from going out and closed down many businesses.
At a media conference in Adelaide, South Australian State Premier Steven Marshall shared the whole incident. As per him, the authorities tested the individual to be Coronavirus positive and linked him to a pizza bar. When contact tracers questioned him about his relation to the pizza store, the man said that he only bought a pizza from there. Thus, the authorities that the man caught the virus in a very short exposure time. This led to them believing that the strain must be highly contagious and hence the announcement of a statewide lockdown. The man, however, lied about his relation with the food outlet. He didn’t just buy pizza there, he had worked many shifts at the food outlet and also working alongside another employee. This employee was also tested positive.
Marshall told reporters that the man’s story didn’t add up and that they pursued them. “We now know that they lied,” said Marshal to reporters. He also mentioned that the state wouldn’t have required a six-day lockdown if the man was just truthful enough. He also criticized the man for being selfish in his actions.
Authorities would lift the restrictions early in South Australia
“Had this person been truthful to the contact tracing teams, we would not have gone into a six-day lockdown. To say I am fuming about the actions of this individual is an absolute understatement. These selfish actions of this individual have put our whole state in a very difficult situation,” Marshall said to reporters.
Marshall also said that the authorities would lift the restrictions early. He added that the stay-at-home orders would be ending at midnight and that they would allow most businesses to open on Saturday.
When reporters asked about the punishment that the individual might face, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said that there was “no penalty”. There is no legal punishment for lying to contact tracers under the current law. This incident, however, could change that.
Stevens said to reporters, “I think it is stating the obvious to say that this person’s actions have had a devastating impact on our community. The hardship is not lost on us”. According to Stevens, the team assigned to review the individual’s information wasn’t convinced with the given information. The man’s likely motivation for misleading contact tracers would not draw Stevens.
South Australia is home to approximately 1.8 million people. They have reported 25 cases from the last cluster. The authorities linked it to a returning traveler from the UK. This new incident made the authorities expect a rise in cases in the next few days. Overall, the country has seen relative success in containing the virus. They have around only 95 active cases currently.
