New Premier Peter Malinauskas to make major health announcement on Tuesday

Premier Peter Malinauskas is not expected to ease restrictions today, despite a marathon meeting with health authorities and a reader poll in clear favour of dumping close contact quarantine. Follow live from 11am.

Premier Peter Malinauskas will make a major health announcement and release updated Covid-19 modelling on Tuesday, the two-year anniversary of the state’s emergency declaration.

In a marathon meeting on Monday that lasted almost 2½ hours, the state’s Covid authorities briefed Mr Malinauskas on all aspects of South Australia’s pandemic response as well as the current rules on masks, close contact isolation and quarantine.

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Amid a fall in daily infections, it is expected the Premier on Tuesday will release updated modelling as well as “important” information about the state of the health system.

Senior government sources downplayed any announcement on changes to restrictions.

It comes as an Advertiser reader survey of more than 2100 people shows 66 per cent think close contact quarantine should be scrapped and Covid treated like the flu, with 27 per cent wanting it at least reduced from 14 to 7 days.

During the meeting, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens briefed Mr Malinauskas on how the Emergency Management Act was operating two years after he imposed the major declaration.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier also gave advice on close contact rules and mask use, which she is understood to be in favour of keeping.

Government sources said health chiefs were preparing to advise an easing of close contact rules, especially for families, from the current fortnight in quarantine to a week of isolation.

The meeting, also attended by Department of Premier and Cabinet chief executive Nick Reade, SA Health boss Dr Chris McGowan and incoming health minister Chris Picton, was also told how the state’s restrictions compare to the rest of the country.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens meet with new SA Premier Peter Malinauskas chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture Emma Brasier.

Another meeting is due on Tuesday. Mr Malinauskas had told The Advertiser he would use Monday’s meeting to demand explanations about how the state had Covid rules inconsistent with national guidelines

This included why SA Health had imposed a 15-minute time window to be declared a close contact, rather than the national limit of four hours.

“Obviously, while we’re in a different phase of Covid, as you know better than I do, we are continuing to evolve and Covid remains omnipresent,” Mr Malinauskas told the meeting. “My government wants to make sure we have a degree of continuity in terms of the approach of following the health advice.

“We also (will) explore all options available to us to realise the collective ambition of all South Australians to manage the transition towards Covid-readiness in a practical way.”

BREAKING Premier @PMalinauskasMP meets with state's #Covid19 authorities including Police Commissioner Grant Stevens & @SAHealth officials including its boss and chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier #saparli#Adelaide#saparli#savotespic.twitter.com/AsrA7kzb3z

— Andrew Hough (@andrew_hough) March 21, 2022

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Stevens, who authorises all legal directions as state co-ordinator, said it had been a constructive briefing.

He said the Premier was “keenly interested in the current status” of Covid laws.

“A range of different options and activities were contemplated and discussed but at this time there were no firm decisions,” he said.

“But I do understand there will be further information being made available (today).”

After a spike in cases last week, SA Health has reported a steady decline in the number of daily infections, with 3121 new patients recorded on Monday, 47 fewer than on Sunday and down 1353 from last week’s high.