Covid-19: No further changes to SA border rules as SA’s first drive-thru clinic opens

SA’s first drive-thru clinic opens this morning as the state’s Transition Committee meet to discuss whether there should be any changes to borders or restrictions.

The state’s first drive-thru vaccination clinic has opened at Pooraka as the Transition Committee meet to discuss whether to hold fast to opening borders and timelines to lift restrictions.

Premier Steven Marshall said on Monday that more information about the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is needed before the state government decides on whether further changes are needed to restrictions.

“We’re learning more about the new variant of concern every hour,” he said.

“I’m very hopeful that the severity of this variant is not high – in fact, I’m hopeful that it is lower than the Delta variant but we do know it is highly transmissible.

“We will get further information but I’m hopeful we can stick to our normal timetable, but we do need to listen the experts.”

There is also a national cabinet was meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

SA was not planning to shut the border with NSW where cases of Omicron have been confirmed “but we do have to take whatever action is necessary based on the medical advice”, Mr Marshall said.

It comes as the drive-thru vaccination clinic opens on Burma Rd in Pookraka.

It will operate from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 7pm.

Bookings are reccommended but not essential.

The entrance is at the SA Produce Markets is on Burma Road – near the Diagonal Road intersection. Diagonal Road connects with both Port Wakefield Road and Main North Road.

Steven Marshall says rules won’t change for now. Picture Emma Brasier.

“At this stage, it’s still very early days with the Omicron variant,” he said.

A South African doctor who was one of the first to pick up on the new strain has said symptoms are so far ‘mild’ with fatigue, body aches and headaches.

Now designated Omicron by the World Health Organisation, the variant was detected and announced by South Africa’s National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) on November 25 from samples taken from a laboratory from November 14 to November 16.

SA had increased quarantine for international arrivals from 7 days to 14 days, but there were few arrivals anyway, he said.

“We’re very pleased the vaccination rate in SA continues to increase,” he said as the state reached 90 per cent of people aged 16 and over having had at least one jab.

Mr Marshall rejected criticism that the situation was confusing for interstate travellers.

“Everybody has to be flexible, we’ve all had to be flexible over the past two years,” he said.

Future quarantine-free international travel to and from Australia is at risk as authorities grapple with the implications of the new Omicron strain of Covid-19, after cases of the fast-moving variant were confirmed in NSW.

Mr Marshall did have a swipe on Sunday at WA premier Mark McGowan who announced fully vaccinated SA travellers must quarantine for 14 days with immediate effect.

“I know there’ll be so many people that are disappointed with this decision from Premier Mark McGowan because they were hoping to reunite with family, friends over the Christmas period. That’s now not going to be possible.’’

He said he was concerned Queensland, Tasmania and the Northern Territory could follow WA’s lead.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison made a call for calm as anxieties grow that Omicron will trigger another wave of border closures and lockdowns.

“It’s obviously a variant of concern. It’s not first one we’ve had. We’ve had 13 variants of concern,” Mr Morrison said.

“I think what is important we stay calm.”

It comes as another 141 travellers from southern African hot spots have entered NSW in the past 24 hours with three confirmed positive cases.