Premier Steven Marshall scraps plan to ease restrictions in SA on December 28

Premier Steven Marshall has announced restrictions will not be eased on December 28 and has called on South Australians to work from home for the next month, as cases continue to rise.

Premier Steven Marshall has announced that restrictions will not be eased on December 28 and has called on South Australians to work from home, as cases continue to rise.

Mr Marshall said current restrictions would remain in place into the new year, as he announced 688 new cases in SA today.

He urged South Australians to work from home where possible over the next four weeks as the state tried to get on top of the new Omicron variant.

“We are obviously looking at the situation with Omicron very very carefully,” he said.

“We already know that it is highly transmissible, but with lower level symptoms than other variants.

“We do have to take action.

“If we don’t take action … it will overwhelm our health system.

“These are extraordinary times and we’re only just working out how to deal with Omicron.”

REPLAY PRESS CONFERENCE

Mr Marshall said SA authorities would be looking closely at new modelling that takes into account Omicron before potentially announcing more changes in coming days.

He said new information had shown about 70 per cent of Covid cases in SA were the Omicron variant.

He said about 50 per cent of the 484 cases in the state on Thursday were not fully vaccinated.

He urged South Australians to get vaccinated, and to get booster shots as soon as they were eligible.

He welcomed changes to the vaccine rollout, announced by the Federal Government this morning, to allow booster shots from four months, rather than five.

Mr Marshall said north, south and central vaccination clinics would be opening for extended hours from December 26.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier apologised for test clinic wait times as she announced changes to PCR tests – they will only be required for those people who are casual contacts if they are also showing symptoms.

She urged South Australians to take care this Christmas.

“We are in a very difficult situation and it is very disappointing that it is Christmas Eve and we are seeing these big increases on numbers,” she said.

“Over the next 24 to 48 hours we will be watching the numbers very closely and we will make changes as are necessary.

“(But) you can still have an enjoyable Christmas party if you stay outside and well away from other people.”

Prof Spurrier urged people to reconsider any unnecessary travel, but said borders were unlikely to close.

She said SA had widespread cases across the whole Adelaide metro area and pockets in rural areas as well, including potentially Kangaroo Island.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said police would be monitoring any “significant breaches” of Covid rules on Christmas Day and urged people to keep to the 30-person limit for home gatherings.

HOW RESTRICTIONS WERE GOING TO EASE FROM DEC 28

	Current restriction	Fully vaccinated from Dec 28	Not fully vaccinated from Dec 28
Residential Premises	30 people	No restrictions	No restrictions
Indoor places (restaurants, pubs, theatres, places of worship, sport stadiums, etc)	75% capacity (seated activities) 50% capacity (non-seated activities) No dancing unless at a private function	No density requirements for seated activity (100 % capacity) 75% capacity for standing and/or singing activity, or places with a mix of seated and standing activity	Only seated food and beverage consumption No dancing or singing 75% capacity in all areas
Nightclubs	No dancing unless hosting a private function	50% capacity	Unable to operate
Indoor fitness (gyms, yoga, pilates, swimming, etc)	25% capacity	50% capacity	25% capacity
Large events	Covid Management Plan required for events of more than 1000 people	Covid Management Plan required for events of more than 3000 people	Covid Management Plan required for events of more than 3000 people
International Travel	7-day quarantine (vaccinated), 14-day quarantine (unvaccinated)	3-day isolation and testing protocols will apply	14-day quarantine (in a medi-hotel)

Mr Marshall announced on December 17 that restrictions were set to ease for South Australians on December 28 as the state hit 90 per cent double vaccination.

Under the changes, which have been put on hold, home gathering caps were set to be scrapped and event crowds boosted.

Capacity restrictions were to be abandoned for “no jab, no entry” at licensed venues, theatres, functions centres, places of worships sports stadiums and personal care salons.

It comes as Mr Marshall lifted a ban on rapid antigen tests late Thursday afternoon.

The tests will be available on supermarket shelves from today.