There’s much to celebrate this morning in South Australia, with record COVID-19 testing numbers, and no new cases reported today.
“We want to thank every single person in the state for their outstanding contribution,” said Premier Steven Marshall.
12,322 people were tested yesterday, bringing the state’s weekly testing number up to almost 100,000 people tested in the past seven days.
The Premier said combatting this outbreak was a combined effort, and he recognised people were doing everything they could to get back to a sense of normality by Christmas.
Several good news announcements were made during the press conference.
Borders with Victoria will return to complete normality as of midnight Monday 1 December. From that time, people will be able to travel freely between the two states.
The Premier also announced a series of changes to restrictions which would come into effect next week:
- Restrictions on patron trade in licensed venues will be lifted on Tuesday, provided venues used QR technology to contact trace people entering and leaving their venue.
- The one per four square meter rule will apply for indoor activity with seated consumption.
- One person per two square meters will apply outdoors. This allows for stand up consumption.
- Caps remain for private functions, but some have been adjusted. Funerals are capped at 150 people, private parties at 150 people (with stand up consumption allowed), weddings are capped at 150 but allow dancing and stand up consumption. This will all come into effect from Tuesday.
- Home gatherings are still capped at 10 people.
- Gatherings of over 1000 people and nightclubs would need an SA Health approved COVID plan to be able to open.
- Sport will resume on Tuesday, with procedures put in place to minimise infection and transmission.
- Masks will be required in some indoor areas where people are unable to remain physically distant.
- The Premier has also written to Prime Minister asking for the suspension of international flights into Adelaide airport to be by extended one week, until 7 December.
Cheif Medical Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said she was pleased to share the “very good news” that there was zero new cases of COVID-19 in SA today.
Updating on the Parafield cluster, Professor Spurrier said there were 31 cases linked to the cluster, with one woman remaining stable in hospital.
5000 close contacts, or contacts of contacts, are in quarantine in relation to the cluster. There are currently 23 active cases linked to Parafield, which is a reduction on previous days.
We have had 559 total cases of COVID-19 in the state.
Professor Spurrier stressed that even those with very mild respiratory symptoms needed to be tested. She added that even if someone had a negative result previously, they should still be tested again if they developed further symptoms.
People who have been following locations at the following times do not need to quarantine, but do need to get tested:
Kilkenny
- Armada Arndale Shopping Centre on November 15 from 11:30am – 12:30pm and on November 22 from 11:00am – 11:30am
Port Adelaide
- Port Adelaide Plaza on November 13 from 6:40pm – 9:30pm and November 15 from 3:00pm – 3:30pm
Those dates are some time ago, so people need to think really hard about if they were there, Professor Spurrier stressed.
The final thing Professor Spurrier touched on was masks.
“It is very important in SA at the moment that we need to be wearing a mask when we’re out and about and in close vicinity to other people,” she said.
Professor Spurrier continued, “it’s Black Friday, the sales are on, you need to be wearing a mask.”
She recognised that people “might feel a little bit silly” wearing a mask for the first time, but advised them to remember that they were not only protecting themselves and their families, but the whole community.
If you have respiratory symptoms, even mild ones, it is crucial to get tested as soon as possible.
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