South Australians will be allowed to sing and dance and businesses can return to full capacity this weekend as the state moves to its most relaxed COVID restrictions since the start of the pandemic.
Police Commissioner and State Emergency Coordinator Grant Stevens announced the latest round of relaxed rules, the fourth set of fortnightly changes, will come into effect at 12:01AM tomorrow.
Commissioner Stevens told ABC Radio Adelaide this morning that "things are pretty much back to normal".
So what does that mean?
What's changing?
Under the changes coming into effect tomorrow, all density limits at homes and businesses will be scrapped.
Singing and dancing will be allowed, meaning a return to nightclub dance floors.
People who test positive will only have to quarantine for seven days, down from 10, if they have been free of COVID symptoms for at least 24 hours.
However, those with underlying health conditions or in a vulnerable group will still need to quarantine for 10 days.
Positive cases who are already in quarantine will also need to complete 10 days, unless SA Health tells them otherwise.
People who recently had COVID will not be considered a close contact within eight weeks after leaving isolation and will not need to get tested during that period.
QR check-ins will no longer be required for recreational transport, auctions and inspections, public transport, taxis, rideshares and education facilities.
Yesterday, Commissioner Stevens would not rule out re-introducing restrictions if necessary.
"The caveat is always there that if we saw a significant outbreak that put significant pressure onto our health system, then we may need to consider what the position is in South Australia," he said.
"Obviously we're hopeful that that's not the case."
What restrictions are left?
Only a few rules will remain tomorrow, including mask-wearing indoors.
Quarantine for close contacts will stay at 14 days for people in the same household who cannot isolate from a positive case, or seven days plus testing requirements for other close contacts.
However, Commissioner Stevens said discussions would be held next week about changing mask requirements and quarantine rules for close contacts.
Commissioner Stevens said people should still make "sensible" decisions, even after the rules are lifted.
That sentiment was echoed by Immunisation Coalition chair Dr Rod Pearce, who told ABC Radio Adelaide's David Bevan that personal responsibility was key.
"If we've got a responsible community, an educated community that knows how to decrease their risk, then you don't need the rules from government," he said.
Will we see cases rise as a result of the changes?
Biostatistician and UniSA epidemiologist Professor Adrian Esterman said while he could "totally understand" people wanting restrictions eased, he was concerned about how fast they were being removed — particularly with a new Omicron sub-variant on the rise.
"Epidemiology 101, here's what we get taught: If you see increasing case numbers you put on more public health measures, you don't take them off," he said.
Professor Esterman said the state had recorded 150,000 cases since January 1.
"If only 5 per cent of them end up with long term health problems, and that's probably a big underestimate, you're looking at thousands and thousands of people with long-term health problems," he said.
Professor Esterman said although the new sub-variant, BA.2 was not any more severe than the original Omicron, it was more transmissible.
"That means we're going to see case numbers skyrocketing," he said.
Professor Esterman supported the careful easing of restrictions that impacted on businesses, but said mask-wearing and QR check ins should remain in place.
"What's going to happen is when case numbers go up enough, the government will have to put restrictions back on again, so why not just leave them in place now?" he said.
