South Australia to End Circuit Breaker Lockout After Pizzeria Error

The six-day shutdown of South Australia’s “circuit breaker” will be disrupted, authorities said, blaming a pizzeria worker who misled contact trackers about how he contracted the virus.

Prime Minister Steven Marshall indicated that a harsh lockdown for the state’s nearly two million residents would end late tomorrow, at least two days earlier than planned.

Marshall said a man who claimed to be a customer at a pizzeria, leading authorities to believe that the strain was virulent enough to be transmitted through a takeout box, actually worked there.

“One of the close contacts linked to the Woodville Pizzeria deliberately misled our contact tracing team,” Marshall said. “His story didn’t add up. We chase them. Now we know they lied. “

The man is unlikely to face charges, police said. “The Emergency Management Act requires people to provide information when requested,” said Police Commissioner Grant Stevens. “There is no penalty for not answering these questions honestly.”

Authorities stressed that the costly shutdown was still necessary, and that the pizzeria’s customers should still show up for testing.

On Wednesday, they ordered the closure of schools, stores, pubs, factories and even takeout restaurants and stay-at-home orders were issued for residents across the state.

Since then, tens of thousands of tests have shown no new community transmission and the group totals just 25 cases, leading to allegations that authorities overreacted.

People in Adelaide and the rest of the state will be able to leave their homes immediately to exercise, and most other restrictions will be eased late tomorrow.

© – AFP, 2020