SA Covid cases: Latest update ahead of Christmas after weeks of rising cases
Professor Nicola Spurrier has given South Australians the green light to give grandma a kiss this Christmas – but latest Covid figures show few signs of cases slowing.
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Despite a lingering Covid peak driven by mutated strains, the state’s health chief has given South Australians the green light to give grandma a kiss this Christmas – as long as they’re staying Covid-safe.
Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier urged for extra caution around vulnerable family members over the festive season, with the state still at the top of the latest wave of the virus.
SA recorded 10,474 new cases in the week ending December 23 – 280 cases fewer than the week prior – and 24 deaths.
Families gathering over Christmas have been urged to take extra precautions, particularly if visiting vulnerable family members – but Prof Spurrier said healthy South Australians could still share the joy with their loved ones.
“It‘s always nice to give your nanna a kiss and I’m sure nanna will appreciate it, but it’s always best to make sure you have a clean bill of health beforehand,” she said.
“People over the age of 70 are more vulnerable, people who are on chemotherapy, people with immune problems (or) disability are more vulnerable,” she said.
“If you get a sniffle, do a RAT test – we’re giving them out for free – and test before you go. If you have even mild symptoms, stay away.”
Prof Spurrier said she hoped case numbers would begin to slow over the next week, with the latest peak believed to be driven by a variety of Covid “recombinants”, or mutated strains.
“We know that we‘ve got different variants in our state and we’ve also got recombinant, which is where two variants mix together ... we think that’s what’s driving numbers,” she said.
“The numbers of the recombinants has been increasing a little bit, perhaps more than in other states.”
It remained “too early to call” when cases would drop significantly, the health chief said.
“If you have any symptoms, don’t go out and spread it. I know that it’s nice not to be thinking about the pandemic anymore but we certainly have lots of cases in our community and people that can get very sick from Covid at this time of year.”
SA recorded 10,754 new cases in the week ending December 16, up from 9986, 9684 and 9601 in the previous three weeks.
Earlier this week, federal Health Minister Mark Butler said “encouraged all Australians to be Covid safe” this Christmas – by being up to date with vaccination boosters, isolating if unwell and, if over 70 or have other health issues, ensuring you have a plan with your GP to get antiviral medication if needed.
“If indoors or in crowded spaces try to wear a mask, particularly if you are with older or vulnerable members of your family this festive season and they are vulnerable to the risk of severe disease,” he said.
“Make sure as far as possible you are having outdoor events, you are wearing a mask if close to someone who is vulnerable to severe disease or the possibility of hospitalisation.”
Last week, the federal government announced extra funding support for state PCR testing sites, with some non-referral PCR testing sites being extended until at least the end of January.
The dedicated sites at Bedford Park, Walkley Heights, Port Adelaide and Frome Road, along with testing sites in regional areas, will remain open past 8 January 2023.
Vaccines and boosters will still be available from GPs and pharmacies across the state, according to SA Health.
DECEMBER 16 UPDATE
Covid cases remain on the rise in South Australia with 10,754 new cases reported this week – 700 more than in the previous seven days.
There are currently over 7,000 active cases, with 187 people being hospitalised, including ten in ICU with two requiring ventilators.
Out of those hospitalised, 149 had received three or more vaccine doses, 27 people were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated and the vaccination status of the remaining 11 was unknown.
SA Health was notified of 21 deaths in the past week – down from 35 last week – with ages ranging between 50s to 90s, including two deaths in people aged under 70.
The state recorded 9,986 new cases from December 3 to December 9.
Health Minister Chris Picton described the figures as a continuation of a “flat peak”.
“We know that we’ve seen increasing number of Covid cases in the community,” Mr Picton said.
“We certainly were projecting and hoping this wave of Covid that we’ve seen over the past month or so would be a short sharp wave and start rapidly coming down. It seems that it’s still with us.
“There’s a significant number of people in hospital (with Covid) putting pressure on our hospital system.”
He encouraged everyone to make sure they were up to date with their vaccinations.
This week also marked the end of Covid vaccination clinics in the state with the final clinic shutting its doors for good on Friday.
Vaccines and boosters will still be available from GPs and pharmacies across the state, according to SA Health.
However, PCR tests will no longer be free after the final clinic shutdown without a GP referral.
Restrictions currently remain off the table but SA Health encourages people to keep up to date with their vaccines and test if they have any Covid-like symptoms.
The new Covid cases bring the all-time state number to 842,328 including 1,126 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.
DECEMBER 3 UPDATE
Drive-through testing sites will be scrapped and free RATs offered to all South Australians as the state reaches the peak of its latest Covid wave.
Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said while it was too early to definitively say SA had hit its Covid peak, cases were beginning to plateau.
SA recorded 9684 Covid cases in the week from November 25 to December 2, with 128 people hospitalised and eight of those in ICU.
Of those hospitalised, 96 people had received three or more vaccine doses, 25 people were either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated and seven had an unknown vaccination status.
There were 12 COVID-19 deaths notified in the past week, with ages ranging from their 30s to 90s.
Up to 500,000 RAT kits will be available at existing RAT collection points for people to collect free-of-charge until the end of the year, with concession or close contact eligibility criteria scrapped.
Prof Spurrier said RATs would also be distributed to emergency responders in the Riverland and community centres across the state.
The full list of collection points will be available on the SA Health website in coming days.
The state’s drive-through PCR testing sites will be wound down over the coming months, with all expected to be closed by January 8 – after which, PCR tests will no longer be free without a GP referral.
“I love those drive-through sites and will feel sad when we shut the last one,” Prof Spurrier said.
“But in another sense, it’s a celebration that we’ve got to this stage in the pandemic where we don’t need that pandemic response.”
The health chief said those eligible for antivirals, such as people with chronic conditions or the elderly, should see their GP and seek a pathology form in advance to access a PCR test if symptoms arise.
Prof Spurrier also confirmed mandatory reporting of Covid test results was no longer required, but “strongly encouraged”.
“If we don’t have that as a community, it is very difficult for me to give you any predictions about the pandemic,” she said.
SA Health said it had experienced delays in responding to reported positive results earlier this week, with a system upgrade on November 22 affecting its SMS messaging system.
The latest Covid figure represents a 3 per cent increase in cases, down from a 15 per cent increase the week prior and 70 per cent increase before that.
“We are getting towards the peak. Until we see those case numbers come down I can’t officially tell you we’re at the peak, but we’re certainly at that top end plateau,” Prof Spurrier said.
“We are very hopeful that we will be on the other side of that wave well before Christmas, so we can all enjoy a healthy Christmas.”
The health chief said she wasn’t concerned the upcoming Adelaide 500, which is expected to draw crowds in the tens of thousands, would spark a rise in cases.
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