Covid outbreak rocks South Australia’s prisons as it records 2298 Covid-19 cases, 82 people in hospital

There are serious concerns about Covid outbreaks in one state’s prisons as cases surge to record highs across the country.

Prisons in South Australia are grappling with a jump in Covid-19 cases as the state recorded nearly 2300 new infections.

Premier Steven Marshall confirmed there were 2298 cases on Sunday with 82 people in hospital, as active infections across the state rose.

Seven people are in the intensive care unit, he said.

Mr Marshall said vaccination rates dropped on New Year’s Day but urged people to get jabs.

“This is a disease which doesn’t take the day off,” he told reporters on Sunday.

“This is a disease that we really need to take seriously, especially the new Omicron variant.”

However there are concerns in the prison system with 60 new positive cases including at the Adelaide Women’s Prison, but most are at Mobilong. One positive case in the system was a worker at a Port Augusta facility, Mr Marshall said.

“This is a vulnerable community and it’s one that we have to take very, very seriously and unfortunately we have had a deterioration in that situation,” the Premier said.

But in good news the premier said the state “dodged a bullet” in relation to positive cases at Port Augusta. Photo: Emma Brasier

In good news the premier said the state “dodged a bullet” in relation to positive cases at Port Augusta.

Three people in the Aboriginal community tested positive but more than 35 close contacts of a sobering-up centre worker who tested positive had returned negative results to rapid antigen tests, Mr Marshall said.

“It looks again like we’ve dodged a bullet with a very vulnerable community,” he said.

He also thanked the community for doing the right thing during the festive season as he urged those eligible to get their booster shots.

Originally published as Covid outbreak rocks South Australia’s prisons as it records 2298 Covid-19 cases, 82 people in hospital