SA Covid updates for January 23, 2022: No deaths, 2062 Covid cases, hospitalisations stable

SA has recorded zero deaths, a big drop in the number of people in ICU, and the lowest Covid case numbers since December 30, in a sign we could have past the peak, the Premier says.

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South Australia recorded 2062 Covid cases on Sunday, the lowest number since late December last year, in a sign the state could be past the worst of the Omicron outbreak.

The number of cases reported on Sunday is the lowest since December 30, when 1374 cases were recorded.

Premier Steven Marshall gave the update as he announced more funding for surf life saving, declaring we could be past the state’s Omicron outbreak.

Mr Marshall said the number of people who tested positive was the lowest number in a “very, very long time”.

“This is fantastic news and more proof that we are at, about, or maybe even slightly past, the peak in South Australia.”

Mr Marshall also said the number of people in hospital with Covid had “stabilised”.

He said there were 278 people in hospital with Covid, below the five-day average.

The number of Covid cases in ICU on Sunday dropped to 24 from 37 the day before. Six people are on ventilators.

“The statistics we’ve got today are very positive, but we can’t be complacent here in South Australia,” Mr Marshall said.

“My strong message to every single person in the state is to make sure that you and your family are all vaccinated.

“There are still thousands and thousands and thousands of appointments going begging in South Australia at the moment.”

Mr Marshall said the “numbers in ICU are massively over represented by those people who are not fully vaccinated”.

The Premier revealed the number of SA Health staff testing positive to Covid or being furloughed had “significantly decreased” to 596.

“If we go back a week it was up closer to 1000, so we are starting to see the pressure with regards to staff ability ease,” Mr Marshall said.

REPLAY THE BRIEFING

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23 UPDATE

South Australia recorded a sharp fall in the daily number of Covid-19 cases and patients being treated in hospital but more deaths on Saturday.

Premier Steven Marshall on Saturday revealed three infectious people had been reported as having died in the past day; a woman in her 30s, a woman in her 80s and a woman in her 90s.

Mr Marshall said in the past 24 hours 2193 cases were detected - 1613 through lab PCR nose and swab testing along with 580 positive home rapid antigen tests.

He reported 23 fewer patients in hospital with 275 cases.

The number of ICU patients at the Royal Adelaide Hospital increased by four to 37, seven of whom are on ventilators.

It is unclear if any of the fatalities were in the ICU.

While there were 830 fewer infections since Friday’s numbers, Mr Marshall said hot weather had delayed testing at SA Health sites.

He cautioned that he expected cases to spike on Sunday.

There had been 12,565 PCR tests in the past 24 hours, along with 5,375 RAT test collections.

Mr Marshall also revealed new RAT collection sites had opened in Titanium Stadium in the Charles Sturt Council area in Adelaide west, Port Lincoln and Naracoorte.

The state government took delivery of 722,000 RAT kits on Friday.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 21 UPDATE

Six South Australians with Covid have died, as hospitalisations continue to rise.

Premier Steven Marshall announced 3023 new cases of Covid on Friday, down from 3777 on Thursday.

But the number of people in hospital continues to rise – up eight to 298 on Friday – as does the number of people in ICU – up four to 33 people.

Seven people are on ventilators.

“This is further evidence that we are at or around the peak here in South Australia,” Mr Marshall said.

“Slowing down mobility has enabled us to change the trajectory of the disease.”

He said there were 14,683 PCR tests and 5069 RAT kits collected.

The number of SA Health staff furloughed because of Covid has dropped – there are 416 with Covid and 614 workers in total isolating.

Mr Marshall encouraged South Australians to slowly return to work from January 27.

“We’re encouraging about 25 per cent of the workforce to go back, that’s certainly the advice we’ll be providing to the public service,” he said.

“We cannot become complacent, we have plenty of capacity in our hospitals but we still have students to return to schools.”

In releasing the state’s full back-to-school plan, Mr Marshall said the state government would provide rapid antigen surveillance tests for teachers only at childcare and early learning centres.

He said it would be “unhelpful” to provide teachers with rapid antigen tests more broadly.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said modelling showed the return to school would not trigger a second wave in SA.

“There will be an uptick in cases from children, but not a second wave,” she said.

It comes as new data shows just how dominant the Omicron variant has become in SA.

Special SA Health testing has revealed 95 per cent of patients are sick with the Omicron strain, compared to five per cent for the more dangerous Delta variant.

The number of infectious patients in SA is on average about 3,933 every day, according to the latest seven day forecasts.

Latest data shows SA has recorded more than 80,000 Covid cases.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 20 UPDATE

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.