Omicron variant pushes quarantine, fears of thousands locked in over Christmas

Booster shots will be available earlier for South Aussies as thousands face the prospect of isolation over Christmas – on top of the thousands already in quarantine.

Nearly 2400 people are in Covid-19 quarantine as authorities grapple with the prospect of similar numbers being isolated for Christmas.

The state government is now urgently reviewing its restrictions for close contacts at Omicron exposure sites who currently have to quarantine for 14 days regardless of their vaccination

status.

Premier Steven Marshall said on Monday morning he was hopeful quarantine requirements for Omicron close contacts would be reduced from 14 days to seven in the “next couple of days”.

“We just need a couple more days and a bit more information before we can make that decision,” Mr Marshall told ABC Radio Adelaide.

It comes as South Australians now have a choice of booster shots after a major change to the nation’s vaccine program. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation on Sunday approved Moderna to join Pfizer as the preferred vaccine for booster doses. The wait for a booster shot has also been reduced from six to five months.

The SA government hopes to ensure that fully vaccinated people who are linked to Omicron exposure sites during this week will be able to leave quarantine before Christmas.

As of Sunday, 2349 people had been ordered into isolation as close contacts of Covid cases. SA Health was unable to break down how many of those were in quarantine for 14 days or seven.

New rules for being an Omicron close contact came into force on Friday after two confirmed cases of the new variant were identified in South Australia. Before then, vaccinated close Covid contacts only needed to isolate for seven days.

WARY CITIZENS

Shoppers Dhruvin Mehta, Kruti Shah, Bronwyn Cousins and her husband Mark Cousins in Rundle Mall on December, 12. Picture: Mark Brake

Four fully vaccinated shoppers said on Sunday they would be disappointed to have to quarantine over Christmas.

Mark Cousins, 62, Brooklyn Park

“I’ve reached the point where I think we’ve gotta just start living,” he said.

After having perfect track record, he would consider not checking in as “I’m at a point where I’m considering not, because I don’t know that there’s value in it now, and this is my problem”.

Bronwyn Cousins, 49, Brooklyn Park

“I’d be very angry” to get locked down if Christmas shopping led to exposure sites, she said. But at this stage, Covid is not restricting her movements for Christmas shopping,

Danny Mehta, 29, Kilburn

If he were caught in Christmas shopping exposure site, said he’d be “pretty upset … but if that’s the case, if I’ve got to quarantine, I will quarantine.”

Kruti Shah, 30, Kilburn

“It would be a bummer” to get caught in Christmas exposure site, she said.

“You’re stuck in the house and you’re losing your freedoms right at the end of the month when it’s all exciting.”

She always checked in as, “I feel much safer … to protect myself and others around me”

14 DAY QUARANTINE REVIEW

Premier Steven Marshall speaks to media on Sunday, December 12, 2021. Picture: Mark Brake

On Sunday, Mr Marshall said the 14-day quarantine for all close contacts of Omicron was being reviewed by chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier.

“I am very hopeful we can get it back to seven days,” he said. “We would like to get this down to seven days (for fully vaccinated) as quickly as possible.”

Mr Marshall said the decision to quarantine all close contacts of Omicron cases for 14 days even if vaccinated had been made on national health advice but was hopeful this would change.

“If we can get this from 14 days to seven very soon, a lot of people will be very relieved,” he said.

“I fully appreciate how frustrating it is but we have to be careful we don’t have a massive Omicron outbreak for Christmas.

“We have made it clear there will be no more statewide lock downs or lock outs.

“I am hopeful we can lift further restrictions by the end of the year.”

Four Omicron exposure sites have now been identified across Adelaide – a bakery, chicken shop, auto parts store and pet shop.

He said on Monday morning statewide lockdowns were a thing of the past.

“The fears that people have of a statewide lockout are completely unfounded, we’re not going to be doing that,” he said.

“I think people can rest easy.”

It comes as Covid has been found in wastewater samples from Indulkana in the APY Lands in the state’s north but no positive cases have been reported.

SA Health is sending a team to support increased testing and vaccinations for the community.

On Sunday, Mr Marshall downplayed the risk of this week’s Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval becoming a superspreader event.

This was despite a change in rules that means interstate arrivals from “moderate risk” areas no longer having to isolate while awaiting results of their arrival Covid test.

Mr Marshall said “catastrophises” who claimed hospitals would be swamped as borders opened had been proven wrong, with just three people in hospital – none in ICU.

He also downplayed risks of a shopping slump as people worry about being forced into quarantine for Christmas.

“There will be people anxious in the lead-up to Christmas but we are trying to contain it (the virus),” he said.

Vaccination hub closed

The Wayville vaccination hub will be closed “for maintenance” over Christmas.

But it will reopen to accommodate children aged 5-11, who become eligible for the vaccine from January 10.

Ten new Covid cases were recorded on Sunday, with three from a source that is yet to be identified.

The latest cases include two children, a teenager, four men aged between 20 and 50 and three women aged 20 to 70. Six were vaccinated and the status of the others is not known.

There are now 64 active cases, including three in hospital.

Of these cases, one acquired their infection interstate, six acquired their infection locally and are known contacts of a positive case, while three cases are under investigation.

A woman in her 50s and two men in their 30s are in the Royal Adelaide Hospital in a stable condition. These are the only hospital cases since borders opened on November 23, of 86 cases since recorded.

The vaccination rate is 91.1 per cent for one shot, 84 per cent for two. There were 13,611 tests carried out on Saturday.