Fourth case in South Australia Covid-19 cluster; CSL plans $1bn vaccine plant – live news | Australia news

A bit more information about those new Covid-19 case in South Australia coming through.

The Mawson Lakes Primary School and a Hungry Jacks restaurant in Port Adelaide have been close, presumably because they are linked to some of the 17 new infections.

South Australia’s chief health officer Nicola Spurrier, has told Adelaide radio station 5AA that the state’s Covid-19 cluster has more than quadrupled overnight, rising to 17 cases.

These are the first cases of community transmission in SA since April. The cluster was origianlly contained to a large family unit with connections to hotel quarantine and a SA prison.

It’s unclear where these new infections have come from.

Three new locally-acquired virus cases were diagnosed on Sunday after a woman in her 80s went to Adelaide’s Lyell McEwin Hospital for testing. A woman in her 50s and man in his 60s were later tested and also found to be infected.

Spurrier said:

One of those people works in our medi-hotels [hotel quarentine site]… This is where we are considering the source to be.

I am expecting that we will have more cases.

Spurrier said the infected trio has a very large family and four relatives were showing symptoms with test results expected later in the day.

The older woman lives independently not in an aged care facility and is now in isolation at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

She is the mother of one of the younger pair, who are in a relationship.

Contact tracing is also under way for about 90 staff and patients at the Lyell McEwin Hospital who may have come into contact with the 80-year-old woman.

Spurrier said the woman also visited Parafield Plaza Supermarket in Adelaide’s north while infectious.

All staff working at SA’s quarantine hotels have been ordered to undertake mandatory virus testing every seven days.

“It’s obvious that this is the highest risk in Australia right now is this risk of importation (of the virus) in our quarantine hotels,” Spurrier said.

The new rule includes police, nurses, concierge, cleaners and security guards.

Good morning all, Matilda Boseley here to take you through the day’s news in Australia.

Let me know what’s going on in your city via Twitter, @MatildaBoseley, or by email on matilda.boseley@theguardian.com.

One of the big stories we will be following today is this Covid-19 cluster in South Australia:

• The ABC is reporting a prison worker has become the fourth case in South Australia, in the first instances of community transmission since April. Three cases were diagnosed on Sunday all part of a large family unit that is connected with one of South Australia’s hotel quarantine sites. SA Health has warned this cluster may grow.
• The federal government will build the southern hemisphere’s largest flu vaccine manufacturing plant in a bid to sure up its response to future pandemics. The federal government has struck a $1 billion, 12-year deal with CSL-owned subsidiary Seqirus for long-term access to influenza and fever vaccines, as well as life-saving antivenoms.
• The Victorian government’s $5.3 billion package to build 12,000 social housing homes across the state has been hailed for its health and economic potential. The package, to be included in the state’s 2020-21 budget released on November 24, will deliver 9300 new homes and replace 1100 existing public housing units.
• A 49-year-old man has died after being stabbed in Sydney’s northwest. Just before 10.30 pm on Sunday emergency services were called to Budgeree Road, Toongabbie. NSW Police say the man was found outside the front of a house with a number of stab wounds to his chest and died at the scene.
• The body of a teenage boy, 14, and a man, 65, have been recovered in separate apparent drownings in NSW. The tragedies come after a seven-year-old boy died after being pulled from the bottom of a swimming hole in the NSW Blue Mountains on Sunday.
• Victorians can not be compelled to bring the state’s strict Covid-19 restrictions with them when they cross the border the state government admits. Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday said he would seek advice “whether Victorian rules follow you when you move into another state” but a spokeswoman later confirmed the government had no jurisdictional power over people outside of Victoria.