South Australia records four new COVID-19-linked deaths along with an increase in daily cases - ABC News

South Australia has recorded four COVID-related deaths along with 4,500 new infections.

Key points:

• The total number of active cases in SA has risen for the first time in a fortnight
• Close contact rules will be discussed an at Emergency Management Council meeting today
• The Premier says he does not want to pre-empt a decision

Three men — aged in their 70s — and a man in his 80s who tested positive to the virus have passed away.

There are 246 people with the virus in hospital, including 10 people in ICU and two people on a ventilator.

The number of active cases has also risen for the first time in almost a fortnight – to 28,991.

The number of new cases jumped despite a 13 per cent reduction in testing.

SA Health data also shows 93 per cent of today's cases were the Omicron sub-variant BA.2 — up from 60 per cent of samples yesterday.

South Australian authorities will hold a hastily convened meeting this afternoon to discuss whether to follow the lead of other states in scrapping close contact quarantine.

SA Premier Peter Malinauskas addresses the media on mask-wearing requirements. April 12, 2022.(ABC News: Ben Pettitt)

But Premier Peter Malinauskas has cautioned there is no guarantee the rules will be changed.

He told ABC Radio Adelaide this morning that he did not want to be "presumptuous" about the outcome of the Emergency Management Council meeting.

"There is a range of competing variables that we need to take into consideration before we change these arrangements — we want to explore our options," he said.

 "We're calling the meeting because if we can make a change we will, but I don't want to be presumptuous about what that outcome will be.

"[But] I have a legitimate aspiration to see national consistency."

From today, close contacts in New South Wales and Victoria will not have to isolate if they feel well and test negative to COVID-19 on rapid antigen tests. 

Mr Malinauskas said the council would look at hospitalisation and vaccine rates, along with the impact on businesses and spread during the school holiday period, before making a decision on close contact rules.

He said the easing of mask rules on Good Friday had not had the predicted "big, bad impact" on hospitalisation rates, but the health system was still "under the pump".

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2022-04-22 03:18:48Z
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