THE Gawler Council area now has no known active cases of COVID-19, after one sufferer recovered from the disease this week.
New SA Health data released on Monday confirmed the single case listed as living in the council area – as reporter in The Bunyip last week – had recovered.
It means all of the up to eight COVID-19 cases detected in the area have now recovered.
The SA Health maps do not detail where a person caught the disease, where they tested positive or where they are currently self-isolating, only the positive case’s usual residence by local government area.
The neighbouring Barossa, Light Regional and Adelaide Plains councils also have no positive cases listed in their areas after having one active case last week.
One case remains active in the Playford Council area, as reported last week.
Yesterday, SA’s chief public health officer professor Nicola Spurrier declared the Barossa was no longer considered a “high-risk” area for the virus.
Restrictions in the Barossa will now be in-line with the rest of the state, after the region was effectively locked down following a cluster of 39 cases linked to two separate tourist groups in March.
As of Monday, only three new COVID-19 cases had been identified state-wide, bringing South Australia’s total to 438 cases.
Five-straight days of zero new cases and only 20 active cases across the whole state has the State Government and SA Health planning how to ease current social distancing restrictions.
During a daily press conference on Monday, professor Spurrier said rolling back restrictions would only occur when deemed safe.
“We will be looking at the restrictions and looking at adjusting these in South Australia, but we need to do these in a very staged and sensible way, looking at evidence from around the world,” she said.
“Some of the things we’re starting to learn is that outdoor activities are much less of a risk than indoor activities, in terms of transmission. Also, the number of adults you would be in close contact with in various different types of activities.
“I don’t want to see, and I’m sure you don’t want to see, a situation like has been in Singapore, where it was a country that was doing very well, but once they started lifting restrictions they have now had an increased number of cases.”
During the media address, Dr Spurrier said almost 14,300 people had been tested for the disease during the two-week testing “blitz”, due to end tomorrow.
She said expanded testing criteria would remain after Thursday though, as the state looked to maintain its high testing rate.