SA records 688 new Covid cases on Christmas Eve
A man remained in intensive care as the state recorded another record breaking coronavirus tally on Christmas Eve.
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There’s been a sobering surge in new Covid cases in South Australia on Christmas Eve with a new record of 688 cases in one day.
Eight people are in hospital and one is still in ICU – a man in his 30s who was announced yesterday.
“Our thoughts are with him and his family at this very troubling time,” Mr Marshall said, as he announced that SA would no longer ease restrictions on December 28.
In addition to the man on a ventilator in ICU, those in hospital include two are men aged in their 50s and 60s, one woman in her 30s and two women aged in their 90s.
There are also two children at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Mr Marshall said a new study had shown about 70 per cent of cases in SA were now Omicron.
He said 50 per cent of the 484 new infections on Thursday were were unvaccinated – 10 per cent of the population was responsible for half of the cases.
“This is a massive, massive over-representation,” Mr Marshall said.
“You are making yourself vulnerable, your family vulnerable, your community vulnerable, the entire state vulnerable by not getting that vaccination shot or booster when you become eligible.”
Only three of those currently in hospital are fully vaccinated.
Earlier on Friday, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announced the Covid booster dose interval would be cut from five months to four from January 4.
Mr Hunt said the interval between Covid booster shots would then be reduced to three months on January 31 based upon ATAGI advice.
This change was welcomed by Mr Marshall, who urged those eligible for booster shots to get them immediately.
On Thursday, South Australia recorded 484 Covid cases, with seven people in hospital, including one man in his 30s on ventilation at the Flinders Hospital intensive care unit.
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