South Australia has recorded 2,075 new cases of COVID-19 and two deaths, as health authorities issue a warning to doctors about a rare inflammatory condition associated with the disease in children.
A man in his 50s and a man in his 70s, who tested positive for COVID-19, have died.
The daily caseload is the highest since Australia Day, and the first in excess of 2,000 since that date.
There are 112 people in hospital, including nine people in intensive care, with one person on a ventilator.
The state now has 16,938 active cases.
Today's cases were a jump from 1,618 recorded yesterday.
The latest update comes after SA Health alerted doctors that two cases of paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS-TS) — a COVID-associated condition — have been identified in the state.
The syndrome is very rare, affecting less than 1 per cent of children who have had COVID, but can be life-threatening.
The condition has been identified in countries with high numbers of COVID-19 cases.
While it can occur during a COVID infection, PIMS-TS usually occurs two to six weeks afterwards, even if the child had an asymptomatic or mild case.
No further details were provided on the two South Australian cases.
SA Health said the signs, symptoms and severity of PIMS-TS vary but can include stomach pain, fever, and a rash.
Restrictions could be gone by April
Meanwhile, South Australia's Police Commissioner has suggested the state could be free from most COVID restrictions by the beginning of April.
Police Commissioner and state emergency coordinator Grant Stevens told ABC Radio Adelaide this morning that his request for another 28-day extension to the statewide emergency declaration could be the final one.
"We just have to wait and see how we're going," he said.
Once the state's emergency declaration expires, any rules made under it — such as quarantine requirements, density limits and vaccination mandates — will also end.
However, COVID rules could still be enforced under other legislation, such as the Public Health Act.
Mr Stevens said a "baseline level" of COVID restrictions could be adopted, ahead of an expected fourth relaxation of rules at the end of next week.
"If things are going well from a case number point of view, and [with] hospitalisation rates, then my hope is that we're getting close to what you might describe as a baseline level of restrictions," he said.
He said the main aim at the present time was to navigate the state "well and truly through this COVID pandemic in terms of its impact on the health system".
While Mr Stevens was unable to say what the eased restrictions would be, the state's close contact rules have been under review by Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier.
Mr Stevens said relaxing quarantine rules for asymptomatic close contacts would be "hugely beneficial".
"It's something I'd like to see but I'll certainly take the advice on SA Health on that one, because we're talking about how the disease is transmitted, and they are the experts in that field," he said.
Music festival WOMADelaide's COVID management plan was earlier given final approval by SA Health.
The plan includes allowance for dancing and stand-up drinking, while a mandatory vaccination policy will apply for those aged 12 and over.
Permanent live music venues must continue to abide by a ban on dancing for the time being.
"We're not a four-day festival, we're 12 months of the year," Matt Richardson, the manager of The Governor Hindmarsh hotel, said.
"It was definitely disappointing to not be able to at least come in line with restrictions that non-permanent festivals do receive."
