Covid-19: No new restrictions despite SA cases almost doubling and Flinders Medical Centre cancelling elective surgeries

Premier Peter Malinauskas says new Covid restrictions are not on the cards despite rising cases and the FMC suspending elective surgeries as it buckles under pressure.

South Australians will not be subject to any new Covid-19 restrictions despite an almost doubling of cases and major Adelaide hospitals suspending elective surgeries after buckling under pressure.

Premier Peter Malinauskas on Friday said the state government was not considering any crackdown at this stage despite a “rather substantial” rise in Omicron patients.

Mr Malinauskas ruled out masks but said the government would act on any health advice.

Rising cases was mirroring detailed official modelling.

“I’ve been working very hard to reduce the restrictions and provide people with more choice,” he said.

Health Minister Chris Picton, who said there was no central direction to postpone elective surgery, urged people to avoid visiting high-risk locations.

“As we face the increasing numbers of Covid cases again it is a timely reminder to make sure you are up to date with your vaccinations, and have a plan on how you would access antiviral medication if you are eligible,” he said.

“People are asked to stay away from hospitals, aged care and vulnerable people if you have any symptoms.”

Senior government sources say the current phase was focusing on personal responsibility, rather than restrictions and something “very drastic” must happen to impose new legal directions.

“No restrictions are being considered but with more cases we will be reminding people of the measures we can all take especially to keep vulnerable people safe,” one official said.

SA Health on Friday reported 6867 new cases this week, which has almost doubled in a week.

More than 2300 additional active cases have been recorded compared to last week amid a sharp rise in testing numbers.

The SA Health data followed a sharp spike starting a fortnight ago.

The Premier’s intervention came after Flinders Medical Centre revealed officials had postponed more than 20 elective surgeries and discharged patients early due to soaring pressure on operations.

Another four were suspended at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital over the past seven days.

Almost 400 SA Health staff are off sick with Covid amid a surge in triple-0 calls and emergency walk in patients.

“It is a challenging time for our workforce and we know that it is not easy,” the spokeswoman said.

“Easing pressure on our hospitals and maximising bed capacity remains a high priority for the wider public health system,” an SA Health spokeswoman said.

“Both triple zero and ED walk in presentations have increased this week.”

A spokeswoman for Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, which manages the hospital, said it was experiencing a surge in demand due to furloughed staff, an influx of Covid patients and a higher number of complex cases.

There are 67 staff furloughed due to Covid-19 along with 43 infectious patients.

The medical centre has introduced a range of measures to improve patient flow including working closely with private sector partners, facilitating early discharge where appropriate and cancelling all non-essential meetings.

Elective surgery lists are currently limited to urgent Category 1 and 2, but LHN said lists are constantly being reviewed to prioritise clinically urgent cases and to ensure patients are provided as much notice as possible if their surgery is postponed.

“We apologise for this delay and understand delaying elective surgeries is disruptive for patients and their families,” the spokeswoman said.

“We would like to reassure those impacted that their surgery will be rescheduled as a priority.”

SA Health sources said that network has been “under pressure” as the Flinders infrastructure was “much older” and the hosptial “is not well equipped for Covid”.

this was why the state and federal governments were spending more than $400m upgrading the southern suburbs facility.

SA Health said there are 83 Covid patients in hospital – a rise of 30 cases in the past seven days.

Of those, seven people are in intensive care and two patients on a ventilator in an induced coma.

Special genomic sequence testing of case also recorded a surge in new variants including the B. Q. 1 and XBB strains. Almost three quarters of cases are now the BA. 5 strains.

Authorities say the new coronavirus wave is mirroring modelling that shows a peak within the next four weeks.

Cabinet’s Emergency Management Council is not due to discuss Covid for another week.

Any new restrictions require legislation.

Premier Peter Malinauskas, November 9, 2022. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

Speaking on Friday, the Premier said: “We anticipate Covid numbers to continue to fluctuate. “We’re already starting to see evidence of that not just in South Australia but around the country that Covid numbers are back on the rise again,”

“We know it’s a challenge. Covid has imposed upon the hospital system the record demand on top of record demand and that represents a challenge.

“We just have to deal with it as best we can. I will say this, people working within our hospital systems, they’re exhausted. It has been a long pandemic.”

He warned of an increase in Covid numbers this week.

“The advice I’ve received this morning is that there’s an anticipated increase on Covid numbers this week, a rather substantial one, which is largely what we’ve seen around the rest of the country.

“That should be a cause for South Australians to remember that the pandemic isn’t over, we are in a different phase, we’re also in a different position to be able to handle growing case numbers.

“When we see those numbers go up, we know there’s more pressure on the hospital system on its way.”

Mr Malinauskas said the increase in numbers is largely in line with what they expected for this time of the year, and urged people to get vaccinated and make use of antivirals.

The Flinders Medical Centre has cancelled elective surgeries and discharged patients early as another Covid wave looms on SA. Picture: Russell Millard

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, an EMC member and the state’s former Covid chief, said there had been no “discussions about reintroducing any restrictions or requirements in South Australia”.

“The prevailing message that people should be remembering is if you have any concerns about your general sense of wellness you should stay home,” he told ABC Radio.

“If you’re out and about in public areas and you’re concerned about your health you should wear a mask and take a little bit of responsibility for your own wellbeing and the people that you live with.”

This comes after reports earlier this week that FMC has been forced to convert storerooms and other “unconventional spaces” into patient beds in a bid to ease the ramping crush and overflowing waiting rooms.

“We have converted eight spaces which would have been called unconventional spaces into beds,” Southern Adelaide Local Health Network chief executive Dr Kerrie Freeman told a parliamentary committee hearing.

“We are using every single bed we can … if it is a bed and it is safe we will put a patient in it,” she said.