Latest SA Covid update: One death as cases hit 4506, with more in hospital

SA has recorded 4506 Covid cases as it starts to include self-reported rapid test results – with 176 people in hospital and one new death.

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SA has recorded one death and a new high of Covid cases, 4506 – although 336 of them are people who self-reported their result after a positive rapid test, Premier Steven Marshall said.

In a Facebook video from his home in isolation, Mr Marshall said he had returned a negative Covid test after becoming a close contact.

SA recorded a rise in hospitalisations to 176, 12 more than Saturday, with 18 people in intensive case, one in a critical condition, “well within” SA’s hospital capabilities. One person has died, a man in his 90s.

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Of the people in hospital, about 20-25 are not in hospital for Covid-related reasons, Mr Marshall said. There were 23,478 tests in SA on Saturday.

SA will move to rapid tests for close contacts and positive cases leaving isolation from Thursday, Mr Marshall said.

“If you self identify or have been identified by the Communicable Diseases Control Branch as a close contact you will get two free rapid antigen tests – one for day one and one for day six,” he said.

“There is no requirement from Thursday for a confirmation PCR test for anyone who returns a positive on their RAT.”

Health Minister Stephen Wade said the Covid Ready Committee ready committee was “united on a desirability” for face-to-face teaching but would not be drawn on whether there would be online learning to begin the school year.

“That’s the work we’ve got to do this week,” he said.

There are more than 400 people in SA Health who are Covid-positive, Mr Marshall said, meaning 679 SA Health staff were now either positive or furloughed.

To alleviate the skills shortage, he said national cabinet would look at a range of ways to get close contacts and “potentially” Covid-positive people back to work in “critical areas”, using daily rapid tests, modified workplace behaviours, and increased PPE to do so.

SA is already using that methodology in some cases, he said.

It comes as NSW recorded its deadliest day so far in the Covid pandemic, with 16 people dying with the virus. It recorded 30,062 cases, Victoria 44,155 and four deaths, while Queensland’s cases skyrocketed after it added self-reported RAT results to its tally on Sunday, totalling 18,000.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8 UPDATE

Five more South Australians infected with Covid have died.

One patient was aged in their 50s, one in their 60s, one in their 70s, and two in their 90s.

There were 4274 new cases on Saturday, with an increase in hospitalisations and people in intensive care. 

It is the first time SA has recorded more than 4000 infections in a single day. 

There are now 164 patients in hospital, up from 144 on Friday. The number in intensive care remains at 16 but two are now requiring a ventilator.

Eighty per cent of the people in ICU are among the 10 per cent of the community who are unvaccinated.

Announcing the figures, Premier Steven Marshall – who is in isolation after his daughter tested positive – said the third booster jab would likely be made mandatory for people working in the childcare and education sectors.

“Obviously we’re devastated with any death in South Australia and to have five having to be reported on the same day is extraordinarily sad,” Mr Marshall said.

There were nearly 25,000 tests on Friday.

SA Health has 358 workers with the virus, and a total of 608 unable to work.

Interstate, there were 51,356 new cases and nine deaths in Victoria, and 45,098 case and nine deaths in NSW.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has also contracted the virus, as well as Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

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FRIDAY JANUARY 7 UPDATE

South Australia recorded 3707 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, with 144 patients in hospital.

There have been two deaths in the past 48 hours, both patients with underlying health issues. They were Christine Eross, 65, and a person aged in their 90s.

The number of patients in intensive care has increased to 16, with one requiring a ventilator.

Eighty per cent of patients in South Australian ICUs are not fully vaccinated.

A major outbreak is suspected in a Naracoorte abattoir where more than 100 people have fallen ill. Testing and emergency measures are being launched to prevent further spread.

In addition there are increasing numbers in the seaside holiday destination of Robe, where some venues have been listed as an exposure site.

There are more than 100 aged care homes across SA with an outbreak, defined as one resident or two staff members.

Premier Steven Marshall and chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier announced a major new Covid-19 vaccination booster clinic will be launched in Adelaide’s inner west next week.

SA Health will administer a third jab to thousands of patients at the Mile End netball stadium from next Wednesday.

The clinic is bookings-only for people older than 18, and online bookings will be open from Friday. It will be open seven days a week from 8am to 4pm.

It will offer Moderna booster doses and will increase weekly capacity from 5000 patients per week to more than 15,000 in coming weeks.

Professor Spurrier denied rumours of a rift between herself and the Premier, saying she recently had dinner at Mr Marshall’s home.

Asked by reporters if she had threatened to resign, she responded: “Why would I want to leave this job? I’m here to lead a pandemic response … I will say ‘absolutely no’ to that sort of question.”

Professor Nicola Spurrier and Premier Steven Marshall at Friday’s Covid briefing. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

There are four patients in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital but to date there have been no SA children in ICU.

There were 20,489 tests on Thursday, a slight rise.

Genomic testing has shown that 92-93 per cent of people in hospital have the Omicron variant, which has become the dominant strain across the country.

SA Health now has 356 staff who have tested positive for Covid, and 547 staff who are close contacts. Work is under way to recruit more resources to assist with contact tracing and vaccination.

Mr Marshall “strongly encouraged” South Australians who had their second dose of any vaccine at least four months ago to “roll up their sleeve for this booster”.

Quizzed on plans for unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated younger students returning to school, Mr Marshall said the Covid committee planned to make a decision by the end of next week “but there are lots of moving parts”.

“There had been a lag in vaccination rate around the New Year, but the past three days it has been above 19,000 every day,” Mr Marshall said.

He said a third booster jab “is the best thing you can do for your own health, the health of your family, friends and the broader community” as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads like wildfire.

Professor Spurrier said numbers were not skyrocketing in SA due to changes in density limits and mask rules, and an increase in people working from home.

She said authorities were focusing on suppressing the curve for long enough to get the third dose to everyone who is eligible.

THURSDAY JANUARY 6 UPDATE

There were 3070 new cases of Covid-19 announced in SA on Thursday – a fall from 3493 the day before.

There were 123 patients in hospital, a slight reduction from 125 on Wednesday, while the number in intensive care remains stable at 12 with one of them on a ventilator.

There are now 308 SA Health staff including ambulance officers who have tested positive and a further 265 SA Health workers “furloughed” but who can work from home.

Premier Steven Marshall said vaccinations hit 19,998 on Wednesday, including 15,500 people getting booster shots.

A woman in her 60s was named as the latest South Australian to have died with Covid.

Christine Eross, 65, of Angle Park, died on Wednesday at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, a day after testing positive to the virus. Her death will be investigated by the Coroner.

On Thursday night, SA Health announced new Covid exposure sites – which it only does now if there is a high risk or a confirmed transmission at the site.

The new sites are at the Derrimut 24:7 Gym at Gepps Cross, the Derrimut 24:7 Gym at Melrose Park, Anytime Fitness at Murray Bridge, the Caledonian Inn and The Project in Robe, and the Bond Store at Wallaroo.

Mr Marshall said SA’s imminent switch in focus to rapid antigen testing instead of PCR testing was “a huge logistical exercise … but this is the appropriate response for this (stage) of the disease”.

Close contacts of positive Covid cases will soon be given two free rapid antigen tests by SA Health – one for day 1 and one for day 6.

SA has secured 10 million rapid antigen tests with one million now arriving per week.

Once the new system comes into effect, if a close contact receives a positive result on day 1 they will be deemed as Covid-positive and will not require a PCR test.

Rapid antigen test collection points are still being finalised. A QR code will enter the person’s details into a SA Pathology computer system to ensure they are taken and recorded.

Mr Marshall predicted SA was still weeks from the peak of the Omicron outbreak, but signs the spread was slowing were “really positive”.