Charlotte Varcoe
INCREASED restrictions for cross-border communities and the Mount Gambier, Grant District and Wattle Range council areas have caused a surge in Covid-19 testing numbers.
The Mount Gambier Covid-19 testing station – at the local showgrounds- reported 530 tests conducted on Tuesday and 475 on Monday, an increase of almost five times from the week beforehand.
It comes following uncertainty surrounding the whereabouts of a 40-year-old Mount Gambier woman who told health authorities that she returned to the region on October 1 before receiving a Covid-19 test at the showground’s facilities and returning a positive test the following day.
SA Health confirmed with The Border Watch a total of 37 contacts have been identified following the positive result with 17 being classed as primary close contacts.
These contacts have also been transported to a medi-hotel in the city with a further 20 residents also classified as secondary contacts.
On Tuesday, SA Health announced the South Eastern Hotel’s drive-through Sip n Save bottle shop as an official exposure site with the Covid-19 case reportedly visiting the venue between the hours of 5.30pm and 6.05pm on October 1.
Monday also recorded a significant increase in testing with SA Pathology workers recording 475 conducted tests held throughout the day.
Alongside the reported exposure site, new mandatory travel restrictions for cross-border community members came into place earlier this week, requiring travellers to present a negative Covid-19 test each week to travel between South Australia and Victoria.
The Mount Gambier Covid-19 testing station will extend its opening hours until 6pm until Monday, October 11.
