Premier Steven Marshall addressed the South Australian public today with the latest information on the evolving COVID-19 situation in SA.
Marshall began by announcing that a further five people have passed away while being COVID-positive. One was aged in their 50s, one in their 60s, one in their 70s and two in their 90s.
He said there has been an increase in new cases with 4,274 new cases reported today. There has been an increase in hospitalisations with 164 people currently in hospital with COVID. Marshall said the state is still well within its capacity to process these patients. There are 16 individuals in ICU maintained and two are ventilators.
Marshall said that 80 per cent of ICU patients are not vaccinated.
Yesterday, there was an increase in PCR tests taken with a 20 per cent surge and 24,784 tests taken through SA Pathology and private labs.
Marshall said that the booster mandate came into effect yesterday for aged care and disability workers, and this completements the previous direction for health care workers.
He said they are strongly considering mandating booster shots for workers in childcare and education.
“They are very frontline, and we want to make sure people are as protected as possible.”
He said the free RAT tests will be in place on Thursday morning. This will give people the ability to get a free RAT from SA Health and use this on day 1 and 6. If they get a positive result, this will negate requirements for them to have a PCR test.
“We want to preserve it [PCR tests] for people who have symptoms,” Marshall said.
Marshall said there was a small power outage in Wayville vaccination clinic however this is now restored.
Marshall said they have been reporting outbreaks in aboriginal communities in SA. He said they were really concerned about two positive cased in Amuta near NT border.
He said that 300 people had been tested and 270 results that have already been returned are all negative.
He said these are vulnerable communities because of their remote locations.
Marshall added that the AHPPC are meeting shortly and one of their concerns at the moment that they will be discussing is the food supply chains in SA.
He said they are concerned that, as more people become infected and more close contacts are identified, they don’t slow down food supply chain and he said they want to stay ahead of this.
When asked about meat shortages in supermarkets he said he doesn’t think we have an acute shortage.
“I’ve been to several supermarkets this morning trying to eye this out myself…but there certainly weren’t any shortage were I was this morning.”
He said they are mindful that many people across many sectors of work are isolating and in quarantine that can’t work.
Marshall also said when asked about the concerns of COVID positive cases being recorded from RAT tests, these cases can record their status on the SA health website.
If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, please seek testing as soon as possible.
Find your nearest testing site at www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/COVIDtesting.
More information is available at www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/COVIDcontacttracing.
For more information visit https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/ or call the SA COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787.
SA HEALTH LISTED COVID-19 EXPOSURE SITES:
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