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Open inspections and auctions are among the business activities across South Australia that will be closed for the next six days as the state initiates “circuit breaker restrictions” to contain a COVID-19 outbreak.
The government of South Australia has implemented a swathe of “circuit breaker restrictions” for the next six days to stop the spread of COVID-19 after at least six new cases were diagnosed in the state. It is believed that the latest strain of the virus began spreading from a returned traveller from the UK and was spread into the community by a cleaner working at the medi-hotel they were staying in.
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The six days began at 12:01 am Thursday, 19 November 2020, and requires nearly all industry except some “critical services” to shut down.
There will be a further eight-day period of significant restrictions following the initial six-day circuit breaker (however, details of this stage have not yet been confirmed).
“South Australia will pause, and people will need to remain at home for the next six days,” reads the state government’s statement.
Open inspections, appraisals and auctions are all affected by the outage, while holiday homes are also to be closed over the period.
It is expected that virtual appraisals and online auctions will not be affected by the shutdown.
As was the case in the first round of lockdown, banks will remain open.
Exercise will be banned outside the house and people will be restricted from going outside (except for specific, sanctioned purposes).
The South Australian government is urging all individuals to “please remain calm and be patient while we work together to get this information out to the community of South Australia”.
SA’s chief public health officer, Professor Spurrier, said that the strain of the virus was breeding “very, very rapidly”.
She said: “This is really the one chance we’ve got to having a normal Christmas.”
Speaking to media, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said: “Earlier today I was in touch with the South Australian Premier and I kept in touch with the Deputy Prime Minister over the course of the day, including getting those updates and what's been occurring there.
“I commend Premier Marshall and all the team in South Australia, the health offices, the public health response, the Western Australian government who has pitched in quite significantly when it comes to the contact tracing effort, the isolation of thousands of those in South Australia. This has been a very rapid response, one that they’ve prepared for, one the Commonwealth is prepared for.
“Additional ADF support has been put in, in response to that request from South Australia. Other states will respond as they see fit to, the federal government has no issue with that. And they will do that across the spectrum based on the health advice that they have in their state.
“My hope and confidence is that the response will meet the risk of this outbreak, but there is still a lot more work to do in the days and possibly weeks ahead. But for a first start in dealing with this, then I think the indications are positive, but we’ve got some distance to go.”
The following will be permitted to remain operational to maintain critical services only:
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