From the General Manager

Off to a Good Start!

IAN HORNE – AHA|SA GENERAL MANAGER

WATCH VIDEO: https://youtu.be/3jEQDR9t7Z4

The new State Government took little time to recalibrate the State’s response to COVID-19 management. Within the first week, the Premier announced the isolation period for a household close contact was reduced from 14 to 7 days, effective immediately. Further, the Premier also announced that the length of time a COVID-19 positive person cannot be considered a close contact is extended from 8 weeks to 12 weeks and, importantly, the definition of close contact changed to require close personal interaction with a positive case from 15 minutes to 4 hours.

A research study commissioned by the AHA|SA, and undertaken by the SA Centre for Economic Studies at the University of Adelaide, found that 85% of hotels suffered staff shortages due to COVID-19 infection or isolation such as close contact. Of those affected, 64% had to reduce operating hours or close at least temporarily due to unavailability of staff.

Lack of staff resulted in significant pressure on owners, their families and existing staff to cover multiple shifts, leading to an increase in stress and exhaustion levels.

It was therefore of great relief that the new Premier recognised early the inconsistency of the South Australian rules that struggled to be supported by any compelling evidence and, as a consequence, placed significant but unnecessary burdens on business and workers alike.

The Premier then abolished the COVID-Ready Committee and replaced it with a sub-committee of cabinet. That sub-committee is the Emergency Management Council.

Plans to scrap mask mandates in the state by April 14 are underway, ‘barring any big change in circumstances, and barring a new variant’.

All in the first week!

What remains for hotels and hospitality is the seven-day isolation for close contacts (despite the importance of the implementation of the National Cabinet standard) be replaced with changing hospitality worker status to ‘essential workers’, which would allow staff deemed close contacts but having no symptoms to simply have a daily rapid antigen test (RAT) prior to commencing shifts.

We believe that the Government has sympathy for this proposition as it also currently applies to logistic, and transport and health workers.

ADELAIDE 500

The Supercars’ famous Adelaide 500 is set to be revived in December 2022 after Labor’s win in the South Australian election. Premier Peter Malinauskas vowed to bring the popular event back to the streets of Adelaide in a pre-election promise.

While the Adelaide 500 traditionally opened the Supercars season, the long-standing event was axed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic amid financial concerns.

In its reformatted guise, the race will now return as the season finale, with 1-4 December flagged as the dates for this year’s event.

The AHA|SA welcomes the decision to reinvest and reinvent the race and supporting concert with a change of dates, a new management structure and renewed commitment. The event has historically been a significant contributor to visitor numbers, bed nights and a sense of state pride. We look forward to it regaining its former glory and the economic and social rewards that go with such an event.

Another positive start for the Premier and South Australia.