South Australia has recorded 11 COVID-related deaths with the Premier warning case numbers could rise after a new subvariant was detected in the state.
Premier Peter Malinauskas confirmed the BA.5 subvariant has been identified in the state after being found in New South Wales and Victoria.
"Case numbers may go up between the next six to eight weeks pending how the new BA.5 variant rolls through South Australia," he said.
"The information presented to us this morning indicated that in New South Wales, the BA.5 variant numbers have gone up dramatically."
Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said complacency could be a killer.
Ms Spurrier said it was "difficult to estimate" the severity of BA.5, but authorities expect it to be no worse than previous strains.
"We are expecting some immunity from previous infection and vaccination," she said.
New modelling shows COVID numbers are expected to increase next week and peak about July 12 with an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 cases.
SA Health would monitor the situation and would release further modelling.
A woman in her 40s is among the 11 new deaths, and 2,270 new cases have been reported today.
The deaths occurred between February 26 and Sunday but were only announced by SA Health today.
The state's Emergency Management Council met this morning to discuss easing quarantine requirements for COVID-positive people, but no further changes were made to restrictions.
Vaccine mandate requirements for allied health workers were also considered but remain unchanged.
The latest restriction to ease was the requirement to wear masks at Adelaide Airport.
Masks are still required on board aircraft.
You will catch COVID again: Picton
With a surge in influenza cases on top of COVID, the Health Minister Chris Picton has re-launched the "emergencies campaign" in a bid to free up more beds.
Mr Picton says non-urgent elective surgery will be reduced and 28 private hospital beds will be accessible to public patients.
"The health system is under extreme pressure at the moment," he said.
He said now was not the time for people to be complacent.
"Just because you've had COVID, don't feel like you're invincible, you will catch COVID again, particularly with new strains."
