South Australia introduces new Covid rules to deal with Omicron

South Australia is introducing new Covid rules, to begin tonight, saying they needed to take decisive action against Omicron.

South Australia will introduce new Covid rules for gyms and hospitality venues after recording 774 new cases in the last 24 hours.

On Sunday, Premier Steven Marshall said they needed to take “decisive action” to stop Omicron cases rising into the thousands.

There are 17 people in hospital with Covid in South Australia, which recorded a spike of more than 100 cases on Sunday after reaching 634 infections on Christmas Day. Three are in intensive care, aged in their 30s, 60s and 70s.

“There are two sectors which are disproportionately hit by Omicron, those sectors being gyms and also the hospitality sector,” Mr Marshall said.

“So effective immediately we’re going to take to take decisive actions to make sure that we can protect South Australians and slow down the spread of Omicron so that we can get those booster shots into people’s arms.”

He announced that at midnight the density arrangement for gyms would be reduced to one person per seven metres.

Indoor dining density limits will also be scaled back to one per four square metres, while it will be one per two square metres for outdoor dining.

People are being asked to work from home where possible. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier

“We still need everything to be seated consumption,” Mr Marshall said.

The premier acknowledged it was a difficult time of year to be enforcing such restrictions.

“We would not be doing it unless we were very concerned about the trajectory of the Omicron variant and just how quickly it is moving to undermine the workforce here in South Australia and also increasing hospitalisation,” he said.

“If we don’t take decisive action now we could see South Australia in the thousands (of cases) within the next couple of weeks and we don’t want to be in that situation.

“There’s going to be an enormous stresses on hospital systems, health care systems, emergency services right around the country going forward — that is a fact and that is why we need to slow the transmission of this disease and we need to do it as quickly as possible.”

Mr Marshall said more than 80 per cent of South Australia’s new infections were of the Omicron variant, with the state about two weeks behind NSW in its exposure to the strain.

He noted that NSW had seen a spike of 70 people in hospital in the figures released on Boxing Day.

South Australians are urged to reduce their movements. Photo: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Mr Marshall said that from midnight the cap on the number of visitors allowed into homes would reduce from 30 to 10.

People were also strongly advised to immediately work from home where possible, wear masks indoors and reduce movements.

“We’re saying to people this is a disease which can really only be transmitted from the number of people you meet,” he said.

“My strong advice to every South Australia is to reduce the mobility. Make sure that you get in and get that booster as quickly as possible.”

Travellers must do a rapid antigen test on arrival. Photo: NCA NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

The testing requirement for interstate travellers to get a negative result 72 hours before arriving into South Australia will also be scrapped so people with symptoms are prioritised.

Travellers from interstate must now do a rapid antigen test on arrival.

Business SA Chair Nikki Govan branded the reduction in density limits for the fitness and hospitality sector “disastrous”.

“We know how important it is to protect the health and wellbeing of all South Australians. We will never question that. But the South Australian business community continues to bear the financial burden of this global pandemic,” she said.

“It is critical that support is made available immediately otherwise we will see jobs lost and more businesses closed. This is not the way we want to start 2022.”