Despite the increase in cases, the number of people with COVID-19 in hospital dropped from 284 yesterday, to 246 today, with six people in intensive care and one on a ventilator.

Another three people – a woman in her 80s and two men in their 70s – died over the past 24 hours after testing positive for COVID.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said yesterday that South Australia was “on track” to record between 5000 to 6000 cases within two weeks’ time in line with modelling released last week, but those figures were subject to change and the peak could hit earlier or indeed later than expected.

She said daily case numbers were “definitely rising” in South Australia, with hospitalisations also set to increase in the coming weeks.

The spike is prompted by the emergence of the new Omicron sub-variants, BA.4 and BA.5.

Latest genome sampling in South Australia found 11.7 per cent of the samples analysed were BA.4, while 12.6 per cent were BA.5.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said case numbers would continue to rise across Australia for at least one month during this third wave of infections.

“All of the modelling indicates that case numbers and hospitalisations have further to go over probably the next four to six weeks,” he told Melbourne radio 3AW this morning.

“We’re going to continue to see case numbers rise, we’re going to continue to see pressure on our hospitals.”

Butler said there were currently about 4000 people with COVID in hospital across the country, with modelling forecasting that will rise by about 25 per cent over the next four to six weeks.

But he said intensive care unit admissions were estimated to be “markedly lower” – about one third less – than what they were during the last COVID wave in January.

“That’s because in January, although Omicron was driving the very big increase in case numbers… there were still cases of delta running through the community,” he said.

“That was much more severe – it got into the lungs and it was more likely to get people into ICU.”

Butler said he had not seen modelling predicting the number of COVID-related deaths, but currently, about 300 Australians die after testing positive each week.

“We’ve seen some data out this morning that suggests that COVID is the largest killer of Australians this year, taking over from coronary disease,” he said.

Free rapid COVID tests to end this month

Meanwhile, Butler revealed a federal government-funded program that provides 10 free rapid antigen tests every three months for concession card-holders would end in July.

He said ending the program at the end of this month “is about the right time”, as the price of tests had come down.

“The cost was averaging $24-$25 per test in January – they’re now down to about $8 a test,” he said.

“Pensioners and concession card holders can still get their allocation of up to 10 before the end of the month and that can carry them through for a period of time.

“There are so many RATs out in the community, many state governments provide free access … and they’re available if you live in an aged care facility.

“The problem we were facing is largely resolved.”