South Australia is lifting the local COVID-19 restrictions it brought in last week, effective immediately.
Key points:
- SA introduced coronavirus social restrictions last week after concerns about the Delta variant
- There were no cases outside of hotel quarantine in the past week
- The restrictions have been removed
The changes were introduced after concerns about outbreaks of the Delta strain of COVID-19 in several other states, and were strengthened when a returning Tanami miner and his family tested positive to the virus.
Since then, though, there have been no new cases outside of hotel quarantine.
South Australia will also lift restrictions on people coming from Victoria, with tests no longer required for people who cross the border.
Borders with New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia remain closed.
"The transition committee will meet again this Thursday to look at the borders, particularly with Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland, but we are very pleased with the way that the situation is moving," Premier Steven Marshall said.
In South Australia, hospitality venue limits will go back to allow three people per four square metres, home gatherings will revert to a cap of 200 people and dancing, singing and drinking while standing up will be allowed again.
"That's all very important," the Premier said.
Masks will no longer be "strongly" recommended in public places or on public transport, he said.
The state has recorded one new case of COVID-19, in a child who has returned from overseas and is in hotel quarantine.
Two men — one aged in his 20s and the other in his 60s — have been hospitalised.
The state has 16 active cases in total.
The easing of restrictions coincides with the opening of a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Victor Harbor, south of Adelaide, as the state's regional vaccine roll-out is expanded.
The first patients received their jabs this morning.
The appointment-only centre is open to anyone over 16 and is capable of giving 500 Pfizer and 200 AstraZeneca shots per week.
South Australia closed its border with NSW on June 23 and later introduced quarantine requirements on anyone who had come from the state since June 20 — two weeks ago today.
Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said it was pleasing to see no cases coming out of NSW into SA.
Restriction cost being tallied
Australian Hotels Association South Australian chief executive Ian Horne said the impact of the week's restrictions on the hospitality industry would be felt for another month.
"What happened last week was a version of what happened last November when we had the three-day lockdown," he told ABC Radio Adelaide.
"It wasn't just the cost of those three days, or in this case, the last seven days, it's the flow-on and the panic that set in.
"People were deferring or just simply cancelling or walking away from functions, weddings, celebrations, corporate meetings, travel within the state.
"It has another month effect because of those cancellations which you never, ever get back."
Mr Horne said limiting restaurants, cafes, pubs and clubs to 50 per cent capacity was not viable.
"This seven days conservatively has probably cost hospitality in excess of $30 million," he said.
"A lot of that has also been the wages of our employees, predominately casuals.
"When our capacities were cut back from 75 per cent to 50 per cent, you cut back your staff, you cut back shifts, you cut back hours.
"People who would normally expect to get paid to pay their rent, buy their groceries, maintain their lifestyle — they lost money."
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