SA COVID cases, hospitalisations rise during predicted peak
South Australia’s weekly COVID-19 tally has more than doubled in three weeks after SA Health reported another 8346 infections over the last seven days.
Photo: Davide Bonaldo/Sipa USA
SA Health today reported 8346 COVID-19 cases over the last week – up from 6867 cases the week before and 3797 cases two weeks ago.
The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 has also risen from 83 to 118, with seven people in intensive care.
As of Thursday, there are 5996 active cases across the state.
There was also a 21 per cent increase in PCR testing compared to the previous week, with 4162 positive PCR tests and 4183 positive rapid antigen tests.
SA Health said it has been notified of three deaths in the past seven days involving people aged in their 80s and 90s, lifting the state’s pandemic death toll to 1060 cases.
South Australian weekly COVID-19 update 18/11/22.
For more information go to https://t.co/XkVcAlWPSN pic.twitter.com/cMb50xKgdT
— SA Health (@SAHealth) November 18, 2022
New modelling released by the state government on Tuesday showed this wave of COVID-19 is likely to peak next week before a drop in infections in time for Christmas.
The peak is expected to be around 1000 daily cases and 300 hospitalisations.
Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier on Tuesday said that compared to previous COVID waves, this current surge would result in fewer infections and hospitalisations.
“We probably are about a week… or so away from the peak of the wave, and if you follow that down you can see that prior to the wonderful day of Christmas and the festival season, we’re well on the way down on the other side of that curve,” she said at the time.
It comes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide, with combined cases in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland also doubling over the last two weeks.
The three states reported 58,373 new infections on Friday, up from 42,264 the previous week and 27,103 two weeks ago.
Despite the rising case numbers, only 50 people were in ICU with the virus in the three states as of Wednesday.
The spike in cases has prompted authorities in the NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT to appeal for public help in stemming infections.
People are being asked to wear masks in public indoor areas and on public transport, although they have stopped short of reintroducing mandates.
The figures represent a fraction of those recorded during the peak of the previous COVID wave in July.
Earlier in the week, federal health minister Mark Butler said the government’s vaccine advisory body didn’t recommend rolling out a fifth vaccine dose or third booster despite a caseload rise.
WEEKLY VIRUS DATA BY JURISDICTION:
- South Australia: 8346 cases, three deaths
- NSW: 27,869 cases, 39 deaths
- Victoria: 20,398 cases, 46 deaths
- Queensland: 10,106 cases, 15 deaths
- ACT: 1194 cases, no deaths
- Northern Territory: 286 cases, no deaths.
-With AAP
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that SA COVID-19 cases doubled over two weeks. It has been updated to state they doubled over three weeks.
