SA Covid updates for January 20, 2022: 11 Covid deaths and ICU numbers rising

Eleven South Australians with Covid have died in the state’s deadliest day yet, while calls for students to be tested with RATs before class were rejected. Watch the Premier’s briefing here.

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Eleven South Australians with Covid have died, as the state records 3777 new cases.

Premier Steven Marshall said nine men and two women had passed away, although not all the deaths were necessarily in the past 24 hours due to reporting delays.

They were two men in their 50s, two men in their 70s, three men in their 80s, two men in their 90s, a woman in her 70s and a woman in her 80s.

Mr Marshall said Professor Nicola Spurrier had stated the large number of deaths could be an accumulation of a number of days.

There are 290 patients with Covid in hospital, 47 of whom were admitted for other health issues.

The number of patients in ICU has risen to 29 and Mr Marshall said nine were on ventilators - although SA Health later confirmed there were only six.

The positive cases were detected from 20,890 swabs on Wednesday, including 5800 RAT results, while 22,431 vaccinations were administered including more than 4170 paediatric doses.

Mr Marshall said new modelling would be released on Friday and the 3777 new cases was below the state's seven-day average.

He said a resolution had been reached in regards to Lyell McEwin birthing restrictions, saying partners would now be permitted to be present from induction to labour and could then visit on a daily basis after birth.

Mr Marshall rejected calls for SA students to be tested with RATs before entering the classroom. SA is yet to adopt Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s plan for teachers to be tested regularly as part of a national back-to-school plan.

He said surveillance testing in schools was “sub-optimal” - it was not recommended by the chief medical officer, but they would consider “limited application” in special schools and child care centres, and would give further advice on Friday.

SA has also refused to join the national push to cut the isolation period for positive cases to five days – in SA the isolation period will remain at 10 days.

When asked about SA’s missing RATs supply, Mr Marshall said: “It’s a massive kick in the guts to South Australia if our RATs are being taken by somebody else”.

The Federal Government has now backed calls for a probe into “false claims” it has been diverting rapid Covid tests earmarked for South Australians.

SA Covid update: Eleven South Australians with Covid have died, as the state records 3777 new cases. #TheAdvertiserpic.twitter.com/7t2URWJous

— The Advertiser (@theTiser) January 20, 2022

WATCH THE BRIEFING

READ MORE

■ ‘We didn’t raid your RATs’: Feds deny swiping SA’s Covid kits
■ Hospital’s dads ban watered down after public outcry
■ Major Covid change to Aussie schools; decision on close contacts
■ Teachers threaten to strike but minister urges patience
■ New SA heatmap: 30,600 active Covid cases across the city
■ Testing sites to avoid – and those to use

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19 UPDATE

Hours after Premier Steven Marshall reported six Covid deaths at Wednesday’s press conference, SA Health has corrected that number to three.

In a release on Wednesday afternoon, SA Health issued a statement, saying: “Following further clarification this afternoon, SA Health has revised the total of deaths since last reporting period to three deaths.

“Sadly, SA Health can confirm a man in his 70s, a man in his 80s, and a woman in her 70s who tested positive for Covid-19 have passed away.”

South Australia has recorded a slight rise in new Covid cases to 3482.

After a surge in hospitalisation numbers to 285 on Tuesday, Premier Steven Marshall announced on Wednesday that numbers had risen slightly to 294 – but he added that those numbers may be artificially inflated because some people in regional areas are being admitted for observation, as there are no medi-hotels nearby.

Covid patients are mostly divided between the three major hospitals – the RAH, Lyell McEwin and Flinders Medical Centre.

There was a reduction in the number of patients in intensive care to 23, with four requiring a ventilator.

The total number of PCR and RAT tests administered yesterday was 21,393.

The number of SA Health staff who were positive or furloughed has also dropped. A total of 451 SA Health staff were now Covid-positive, and 668 in total were isolating because they were either Covid-positive or a close contact. 

The Premier also announced the government had accelerated waiting times for booster doses to three months, so 225,000 extra South Australians were now eligible for their third jab.

Restrictions may be eased as the state reaches its Covid peak with Mr Marshall “increasingly optimistic” that would be soon.

He said supplies of RAT tests were on the rise. “We are receiving around 200,000 RAT tests every day, and the state now has 1.4 million in stock,” he said.

Mr Marshall said orders for a further five million rapid tests had been placed today.

Several new RAT collection sites are now in operation, including at Port Augusta, Berri-Barmera and Murray Bridge. Mount Gambier and Port Adelaide sites will open on Thursday, Naracoorte will open on Saturday and Onkaparinga on Monday, while Playford and Salisbury should be up and running by mid-next week. 

In response to The Advertiser’s exclusive report on claims interstate governments commandeering SA RAT stocks, he said he wanted an independent probe.

NSW and Victoria had “completely and utterly rejected the allegations”, Mr Marshall said.

The Premier said it was “outrageous” if it was happening and he had written to ACCC chair Rod Sims to ask if there has been anti-competitive behaviour. 

Mr Marshall said they were ”very very serious allegations” and if proved to be true, were “anti-competitive and quite possibly illegal ... and it’s a kick in the guts for SA”.

On the return of students to school, Mr Marshall said there was no health advice to suggest that twice-daily Covid testing or surveillance of students would be useful.

“It is hard enough to get them to eat carrots, let alone stick a swab up the nose of a student,” he said.

On the possibility of mandating booster shots for some industries, he said no decision had been made yet.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18 UPDATE

Covid hospitalisations surged in SA to 285 patients on Tuesday, an increase of 58 in the past 24 hours, while two people with the virus have died.

However, the number of cases has continued to fall with 3079 new infections, a decrease of 750 on Monday’s figure.

More people recovered from the virus on Monday than were diagnosed – 4046 vs 3079 – and Premier Steven Marshall said this was a further sign the state’s outbreak may have peaked.

There are 24 people in intensive care, five requiring a ventilator.

The number of new infections has fallen significantly from the peak last week, but it’s unclear how much of a role the state’s switch to rapid antigen testing (RAT) has played.

Covid update: South Australia has recorded two deaths and 3079 new cases with 285 in hospital and 24 in ICU and five on ventilators.
Premier Steven Marshall has also announced that 4046 recovered from Covid yesterday.#TheAdvertiserhttps://t.co/lOT5YDnSHtpic.twitter.com/VKXL8phn7n

— The Advertiser (@theTiser) January 18, 2022

Tuesday’s new cases comprised 2257 patients diagnosed via a PCR test and 822 diagnosed via a RAT.

There were 20,515 tests recorded on Monday, over which 13,319 were PCR tests.

The Premier urged anyone who had tested negative on a RAT but had Covid symptoms to get the more reliable PCR test.

He confirmed there will be RAT collection sites opened in Playford and Salisbury in the next 7-10 days “but my advice for people in the north who cannot get in (to the city) is to go and get a PCR test”.

Mr Marshall said there were a significant number of patients in hospital with Covid, but not because of Covid, and was hoping to get a detailed breakdown on this in coming days.

SA Health has 558 staff with Covid and 778 not at work – four days ago that number was nearly 1000.

The Premier has met with the Australian Education Union this morning to discuss their threat of strike action over the state’s back-to-school plan.

“They did request that we delay the start of term one for two weeks. I could not accept that request,” Mr Marshall said.

“It’s going to be a disrupted start to term one but I do believe we’ve got the middle course here in South Australia.”

He said the government had not yet decided on how to use rapid antigen tests in schools, and the complete back-to-school policy would be unveiled on Thursday or Friday after national cabinet meets.

Mr Marshall also announced a $30m upgrade for the existing Women’s and Children’s Hospital to address a resourcing crisis, as excavation and potholing work started at the replacement hospital site on North Tce.