Chief Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier addressed the South Australian public this afternoon with the latest information on the evolving COVID-19 situation in SA.
In the past 24 hours, there has been 5,134 cases of COVID-19. Out of the reported cases, 3,546 were confirmed via PCR tests, and a further 1,588 via the rapid antigen tests (RAT).
There was a decrease in ICU patients, with currently 7 in intensive care, and zero people on a ventilator. 169 people with COVID-19 remain in hospital. There are currently 33,380 active cases in South Australia.
Sadly, there have been two deaths in the past 24 hours: a woman in her 80s, and a child under 5 years of age.
Professor Spurrier advised that the child sadly had other significant underlying health problems prior to contracting COVID-19 and was “on a palliative care pathway”.
In respect for the privacy of the child’s family, Professor Spurrier did not reveal the child’s age or sex, but did share that they were infected by a family member, not at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital where they died.
“Unfortunately for this little one, they were not old enough to be vaccinated, but by vaccinating ourselves we also protect those people that are more susceptible in our community,” Professor Spurrier said.
Changes for schools reporting requirements
Professor Spurrier also told ABC Radio Adelaide this morning that public schools no longer have to report to parents if their child was a close contact.
Parents will only be notified if a class has had five children test positive over a seven-day period. These changes have some in an effort to reduce reporting burdens on schools.
Close Contact quarantine to be ditched after COVID wave
Currently, a close contact in South Australia is defined as someone who spends four hours face to face with a positive COVID-19 case or a household relative. Close contacts are required to spend seven days in home quarantine.
Yesterday, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) – the Federal Government’s disease control body – stated that it supports the removal of routine quarantine requirements for all close contacts.
Professor Spurrier indicated this morning on ABC Radio Adelaide that South Australia would look to be a part of any national change, depending on “how we’re going with our current wave.”
“At some point nationwide we’d like to move to a place of not requiring quarantine for close contacts but putting some sort of other risk mitigation in place,” she said.
“We’re just monitoring when we can get to that situation, it’s just not the time at the moment.”
Spurrier indicated that regular rapid testing and mask-wearing would be effective risk mitigation strategies for close contacts in future.
For the latest COVID-19 Health information, visit the SA Health Website.
Find your nearest testing site at www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/COVIDtesting
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