SA’s Transition Committee decides to end 1-in-4 sqm rule for hospitality venues

SA has recorded another day of zero cases, as the state’s top cop goes against top-level health advice to ease restrictions on patron capacity at hospitality venues.

Lucrative Christmas trade, worth tens of millions to the South Australian economy, has been saved after hospitality bans were eased effective immediately to allow half capacity for venues.

In a rare overruling of coronavirus health advice, the state’s top cop authorised an immediate doubling of licensed venue capacity from one per 4 sqm to a patron every 2 sqm as SA records it’s seventh consecutive day of zero daily cases.

SA recorded no new cases of the virus on Saturday and there are no cases in hospital.

The total number of active cases remains unchanged on seven.

A total 3251 tests were carried out on Friday.

Industry leaders welcomed a decision they said saved a lucrative December trading period worth “tens of millions” of dollars to the economy amid fears of widespread business collapse.

Despite chief public officer Professor Nicola Spurrier urging the rules remain in force until at least next week, the state’s COVID Transition Committee on Friday advised density changes.

Hospitality business owners Jacob Booth from Mistress Mabel, Nicole Hahn from Pony and Cole, Nick Filsell from Lost in the Forest, consultant Jaimee Hockabout, Simone Douglas from the Duke of Brunswick, Jason Makarenko from La Sing Karaoke Bar and Ibrahim Yu from Leisurely Coffee celebrating the easing of hospitality restrictions. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

The decision came after the numbers of people in quarantine hit 272 people – down from more than 5000 – and the cluster linked to a southern suburbs English school was contained.

The Parafield cluster stands at 33 cases while there are just seven infectious patients in medi-hotels. Better testing rates are wanted along Adelaide beachfront suburbs.

SA Health figures show 498 tests were linked to the Woodville Pizza Bar.

Australian Hotels Association SA boss, Ian Horne, said the changes had “lifted a dark cloud and burden off the shoulders of thousands of licensed venue owners”.

“This really is an opportunity to restore that lucrative December trade for so many,” he said.

But he called for “nonsense” bans on standing-up drinking to be scrapped.

Organised gatherings of up to 150 in licensed venues allows for people to consume alcohol while standing.

SA’s chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier speaks to the media. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Mariuz

Business SA chief Martin Haese said “thousands of hospitality business owners will be breathing a sigh of relief” and will “salvage some of the busiest trade period of the year” before quieter months.

“The density rule change will not be a silver bullet for every business owner who is at breaking point after the most difficult year of their lives, but it will help.” he said.

Meanwhile, Health minister Stephen Wade said he was disappointed the pizza bar worker would not face charges for allegedly lying to contact tracers.

SA Health contact tracers declined to pass over the initial interview with the worker to police investigators.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, who sits on the committee in his role as state COVID co-ordinator, authorised the new immediate hospitality rules after making the unusual decision to overrule Prof Spurrier’s health advice.

Just a day after a large-scale hospitality protest, he said the successful launch of special identification-tracking technology, along with detailed information about the state’s worst cluster had given authorities confidence to make the changes.

Latest official figures show more than 1.6 million check-ins from 517,043 phones, at a staggering 17,576 locations have occurred since QR codes were introduced in SA on Tuesday.

Members of the hospitality sector at the #1in4NoMore protest in Peel Street. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

The changes only apply to pubs, clubs, restaurants and other licensed venues. Mr Stevens said officials were hopeful other changes to gatherings and industries could occur on December 14.

Denying any personal rift or being at “odds with Prof Spurrier, Mr Stevens said there were “healthy tensions” as officials “tried to find a balance” while debating economic, social and health advice.

He said the economic implications, impact on employment, time of year, the Parafield cluster and other contact tracing measures, helped his decision although the state was “not out of the woods entirely”.

“It is about risk management,” he said. “We are not saying that we are entirely … on safe ground here to move forward.

“But it’s about finding that balance, and we know that we’re able to respond quickly and effectively, if we do identify another part of this cluster that hasn’t (yet) been identified.

“People must understand that this is not a, a laissez faire decision. It’s not something that’s taken lightly. We don’t put these restrictions on in an ad hoc way and we don’t remove them lightly either. We think about each step and the possible implications.

“We’re trying to find that balance that satisfies the community’s expectations and requirements at this time but still manages to give us some capacity to deal with COVID-19.”

Prof Spurrier said she gave the best advice she could but said “game changing” QR code check-ins would help her contact tracers.

“It is actually very tricky now at this point in time … to give an accurate risk assessments,” she said.

“The longer we go through this, the more days we go with no cases in our community, obviously we can all feel more confident but trying to put really your finger on what the risk is, is difficult.”

She said she had been given “significant reassurance” a cluster was contained at the southern suburbs-based Intensive English Language Institute (IELI), which had three cases including a student she wrongly accused of breaking quarantine.

She said 3548 tests on Thursday was not “really high enough”.

“All the way along the beachfront, from Hove, Somerton Park, Glenelg, Henley Beach, if you’re in that area, the western suburbs, please if you have symptoms, go get tested,” she said.

Premier Steven Marshall was away on a pre-standing trip to Wardang Island, off the Yorke Peninsula’s west coast.