South Australia records 3,493 new cases as premier reveals half of ICU patients are unvaccinated

South Australia records 3,493 new Covid-19 infections – with no new intensive care admissions despite dramatic rise in cases

• South Australia has recorded 3,593 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday
• SA Premier Steven Marshall revealed half of the patients in ICU are unvaccinated
• There are currently 125 people in hospitals with the virus and 12 in intensive care
• Mr Marshall remains confident hospital systems will cope with uptick in cases 

By Olivia Day For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 02:29 GMT, 5 January 2022 | Updated: 02:41 GMT, 5 January 2022

South Australia has recorded 3,493 new Covid cases as the premier reveals half of the patients being cared for in ICU are unvaccinated. 

SA Premier Steven Marshall said the cases were a ‘slight uptick’ from the 3,246 cases recorded on Tuesday and the 2,552 infections detected on Monday. 

There are currently 125 people hospitalised with the virus and 12 in intensive care, one of whom is on a ventilator. 

Mr Marshall revealed half of the patients currently in ICU were unvaccinated and reiterated the importance of ‘crucial’ vaccines and booster shots. 

South Australia has recorded 3,493 new Covid cases as the Omicron variant continues to spread across the state as ICU admissions remain steady (pictured, shoppers in Adelaide)

The premier remains confident the state’s hospital system can handle the increase in numbers thought to be the after-effects of New Year’s Eve celebrations.  

‘We put some pretty harsh restrictions in place to make sure we didn’t have a super spreader event on New Year’s Eve,’ the premier said on Tuesday. 

‘It was a very subdued New Year’s Eve, it was a very safe New Year’s Eve. But we’re going to continue to see our numbers track up.’ 

Mr Marshall told reporters that while four private labs were closed other centres shared the burden of an increased demand for swabs. 

There were 21,097 tests conducted yesterday with the premier advising residents seeking a test that two of the four labs had reopened. 

The state will soon evolve to rapid antigen tests in the place of PCRs in the case of people who are asymptomatic for the virus. 

SA Premier Steven Marshall said the cases were a ‘slight uptick’ from the 3,246 cases recorded on Tuesday and the 2,552 infections detected on Monday (pictured, shoppers in Adelaide)

Mr Marshall stressed anyone with Covid symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat or fever should get a PCR test. 

However, in the coming days close contacts will be able to use a rapid antigen test and required to log their results. 

The state received a ‘big shipment’ of the devices yesterday with the premier assuring residents SA is not experiencing a shortage. 

‘We’re expecting around a million rapid antigen tests for use within the state system every single week from now on,’ Mr Marshall said. 

In lieu of the surge in infections across the state the premier remained steadfast that no restrictions would be eased in the coming weeks. 

The premier announced in coming days close contacts will be able to use a rapid antigen test and required to log their results (pictured, shoppers in Adelaide)

More to come. 

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