Professor Nicola Spurrier ‘watching and waiting’ for Mad March Covid spike

A spike in Covid cases once expected to peak in the middle of Mad March festivities is late – but looming, says Nicola Spurrier.

A Covid spike expected to hit South Australia amid Mad March festivities is taking it’s time to reach the state’s official case numbers.

On ABC Radio Adelaide on Friday morning, Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said she is “watching and waiting” for the increase.

She said SA Health continues to test the state’s waste water and last week the results flattened, contradicting previous modelling.

February predictions indicated the peak of around 1100 cases a day will be recorded around the middle of March as festivities are in full swing.

In the latest numbers from March 10, SA recorded 1712 cases in total, however Professor Spurrier flagged she believes testing is down.

It is unclear when the peak will now hit.

Professor Nicola Spurrier asks Mad March festival-goers to stay home if unwell. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

In the week leading up to Mad March in 2022, SA recorded 14,375 active cases.

One week after the conclusion of last year’s Adelaide Fringe, those numbers had jumped to 28,190.

Professor Spurrier explained during this time the Omicron variant was emerging and the state had a “naive population”.

“We had never been infected before, so that was probably more to do with that,” she said.

She went on to say South Australia is now “in a good place” due to being a highly vaccinated community but has a strong warning for festival-goers.

“It’s great time to be out and seeing people but the main messages here, if you have any respiratory symptoms, don’t go out and spread it around,” she said.

“I know it’s disappointing because you might have some tickets, but give them away and just know that you’re not passing or affection on to other people.”

Originally published as Professor Nicola Spurrier ‘watching and waiting’ for Mad March Covid spike