South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas will interrupt his leave to advocate for an extension to pandemic leave payments as the state approaches a peak in the latest COVID wave.
South Australia reported 4,452 new cases today ahead of a big weekend of events, including the Adelaide Guitar Festival, Illuminate Festival and Beer and BBQ Festival.
South Australian Deputy Premier Susan Close has joined the chorus of other state leaders, urging the federal government to reinstate pandemic leave support payments when national cabinet meets on Monday.
Dr Close has also called for free rapid antigen tests for concession cardholders.
She would not confirm if the state government would pitch in for pandemic leave support payments, but said she recognised that the federal government has a "very difficult budget challenge".
"We do see a case for ongoing pandemic leave support just during this next phase for those people who don't have sick leave and that's because it's so important people are in a position to isolate if they have the virus and they do not have the disincentive to find out if they've got the virus," she said.
"We've been extremely clear that we will maintain our free RAT tests available to people who are close contacts. We think that's appropriate because we require close contacts to be tested."
Health groups and state leaders have called for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to reinstate the $750 COVID leave payments when it ended on June 30.
Meanwhile the state's Emergency Management Council will meet on Tuesday when the peak in the latest COVID wave is expected to hit.
Dr Close said the council did not intend to cancel elective surgery but "it is inevitable there will be some impact" as hospital beds are required for COVID patients when cases peaked.
Mask mandates are unlikely to be re-introduced at this stage, Dr Close said.
South Australians roll up for fourth dose
As of Friday, there were 27,472 active cases across the state.
Six people who tested positive for COVID-19 have died — four men and two women aged between 80 and 100 years.
Eight out of 266 people with COVID-19 in hospitals are in intensive care.
Since the eligibility criteria for fourth dose of vaccination was expanded on Monday, 31,925 South Australians have rolled up their sleeves.
Of those, 5,288 were people aged 30 to 49 years and 9.417 were aged between 50 to 59.
A vaccination clinic at Myer Centre in Adelaide's Rundle Mall is open from today for walk-ins while another site opened at Ellis Park near Sir Donald Bradman Drive yesterday to replace the Wayville vaccination hub that closed.
The eligibility for the fourth dose of vaccination has been expanded this week as the country comes to grips with more BA.4 and BA.5 cases.
