3 minute read
From the General Manager
by Boylen
COVID-19 Conclusion?
IAN HORNE – AHA|SA GENERAL MANAGER
WATCH VIDEO: https://youtu.be/EqTZHXGL_G0
The “emergency phase” of the pandemic officially ended at midnight on Thursday 13 October, almost 1000 days after the state’s first infection. That’s around two- and three-quarter years ago. March 23rd, 2020, to be precise.
Virtually all legal restrictions have now been removed, including mandatory isolation if people test positive and wearing masks in public if positive.
Close contacts no longer have to take five RAT tests however anyone who does test positive with a RAT will still have to report the result so SA Health can keep tabs on trends and also to help such people access antiviral medication.
Masks will still be required in health care settings such as hospitals and aged care homes.
Vaccination requirements for workers in health, aged care and disability facilities will remain in place “for a number of weeks” as they transition to being a matter for workplaces to manage rather than a legal requirement.
Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier likened the changes to the removal of a “big government security blanket” and said it would be “empowering” for the public to make their own decisions on isolating if they are sick.
She encouraged people to be sensible and self-isolate if they are sick and wear masks – including around the house – as a precaution if they do test positive.
Health Minister Chris Picton said COVID-19 would be treated as a workplace health and safety issue in future rather than an emergency requiring legal directions.
This ends the isolation period for positive cases in South Australia.
SA Health tells us that South Australia now has around 1500 active cases but modelling also predicts a coming wave to peak around December 6 with up to 8000 infections – not all will be recorded as cases as not all people will take tests.
Hospital cases are predicted to peak around two weeks later at around 200 a day which is lower than previous waves thanks to vaccines, antivirals and the immunity of people who have previously been infected and also been vaccinated.
The death toll from the pandemic in SA has topped 1000 but the modelling says the number of expected deaths from the coming wave is too small to accurately predict.
These predictions are all very welcome. No doubt COVID-19 has been the biggest challenge for communities around the world. In Australia and South Australia never before has every hotel, pub, bar, or restaurant ever been forced too collectively close. From the Pacific Ocean to the Indian ocean and everything in between. Never in world disasters like World War One or Two.
In South Australia it was just last January that hospitality was still restricted to 25% capacity and sitdown consumption only!
Now ten months later we are heading into summer, recovery is real and tourism data suggests that SA is doing better than most.
Let’s be grateful that we collectively survived and let’s learn from the mistakes, inadequacies and failures of procedures and policies so that if there is a next time, the damage can be minimised because of what we learned from this experience.
