Seven people have died in South Australia after testing positive to COVID-19 – one day after close contact rules were relaxed across the state.
SA Health said five women and two men aged between 70 and over 100 died from the disease.
The state now has 151 people in hospital with the virus, including five in the Intensive Care Unit and one on a ventilator – slightly less than on Friday.
There were 3,897 new cases reported, down from 4,459 on the previous day.
On Friday, Premier Peter Malinauskas announced close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases would only face seven days of quarantine, instead of 14, provided they return a negative PCR or rapid antigen test.
The definition of a close contact also changed from 15 minutes of interaction to four hours, in line with other Australian states and territories.
The premier also flagged a change to mask rules on April 14, unless significant changes occur.
Australian Medical Association Vice President Dr Chris Moy said the easing of close contact rules "makes sense".
"It was almost unmanageable for some families who have had lots of people in the family [impacted by COVID-19]," he said.
"On the one hand, relaxing the close contact rules will actually relieve the pressure on the number of people in quarantine.
"But the problem is it may increase the number of people who get sick and the number of cases, and therefore the number of people in hospital.
"That's going to be the critical thing.
Dr Moy said it would also be a "silly move" to ease mask rules on April 14 if cases in South Australia are still climbing, rather than waiting until the state has surpassed the peak.
"I do understand a lot of people are keen to get rid of the mask mandates but I would still say to people, masks are really the last thing to go," he said.
"They're an easy thing to maintain."
Quarantining residents welcome change
Freelance Eyre Peninsula photographer Robert Lang was a close contact after his daughter contracted COVID-19 at school, forcing him to cancel shoots.
But he was able to cut his 14-day quarantine in half after the state government's announcement on Friday.
"It was just a weight off our shoulders — [the 14-day close contact rules] did feel a little over the top," he said.
"We all tested negative on that seventh day RAT and the regulations got lifted on the day we did our tests so we were straight out of iso. It was a wonderful feeling."
