South Australia’s seven-day lockdown to lift tonight after no local cases recorded

One state will have its lockdown lifted at midnight after health authorities confirmed no further spread of the Delta variant.

South Australians will have their lockdown lifted at midnight tonight, Premier Steven Marshall has confirmed.

They’re the second state to be released from lockdown tonight, after Victorians were given the good news earlier on Tuesday morning.

The good news came after no new cases were announced on Tuesday.

Mr Marshall said it was due to the hard work of South Australians who “obeyed the restrictions strictly” that they were able to leave lockdown tonight.

“If we didn’t do this, we would find ourselves in a very different situation,” Mr Marshall said.

Premier Steven Marshall confirmed South Australia’s lockdown would end on Tuesday night. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Despite the stay-at-home order being lifted, for the next seven days South Australians will face tough restrictions as part of the “sensible” pathway out of the lockdown.

Mr Marshall said the restrictions were necessary as he didn’t want the state to “have a relapse”.

“We only want to do this once,” he said.

Those restrictions will include having only seated food and drink consumption – both in and outdoors – allowed with a one person per four sqm density rule.

Masks will be required in all personal care, public transport and health care services.

Private gatherings will be capped at 10 people per household, including people that live at the property.

Weddings and funerals can have up to 50 people.

Gyms can reopen with a one person per eight sqm density requirement and dancing, singing or consuming shisha will be banned.

South Australia recorded no new locally acquired virus cases on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

A new $100 million Business Support Package was announced after the lockdown began, as thousands of businesses were forced to close their doors and stop trading.

Nearly 2500 small and medium-sized businesses have so far have received a $3000 cash grant from the state government, while 88 have received the $1000 grant.

SA’s statewide stay-at-home direction began at 6pm last Tuesday amid concerns the Delta variant was circulating within the community.

It came after a man, who returned to Australian from Argentina, quarantined in Sydney before returning to SA.

He visited the Modbury Hospital in Adelaide‘s northeast after developing respiratory symptoms, where he was swabbed and tested positive.

The man’s result led to the Modbury cluster growing to 19 locally acquired infections and more than 75 exposure sites listed, with The Greek on Halifax and the Tenafeate Creek Winery being dubbed “high risk” locations.

On Monday, only one case of community transmission was recorded in SA — an 87-year-old man linked to the cluster who was already in quarantine.