New modeling has revealed that South Australia is expected to be hit with record daily Covid-19 case numbers.
The Omicron BA.5 variant will drive the spike, predicted to hit over the next two months.
Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said the size of the wave was predicted to reach between 4000 to 5000 cases daily.
She said the recent modeling was the most uncertain, as the state no longer has international data as a basis now that international borders are open.
“Hospitalisations have had a smaller wave, and that’s what our expectation is, but I can’t say how accurate this estimation is,” Professor Spurrier said.
“There is quite a lot of uncertainty around this model.
“The wave isn’t going to be any worse than what we’ve experienced with previous variants.
“It’s going to put some pressure on the hospital system, but it’s not going to be catastrophic.”
Camera IconChief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said the recent modeling was the most ‘uncertain’. NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe Credit: News Corp Australia
Earlier in the day, Premier Peter Malinauskas alerted South Australians to the expected peak in daily case numbers, which will hit in about six to eight weeks.
But he said the rise “should not be a cause for panic” and did not anticipate restrictions would change.
“In NSW, currently, the new BA.5 numbers have gone up quite dramatically, to a lesser extent in Victoria, and there is now a presence of the BA.5 variant in South Australia, “Mr Malinauskas said after Tuesday’s Emergency Management Committee meeting.
“This is what we’re going to see over the months and years ahead – case numbers will go up, and cases will go down, and we need to be equipped to handle that circumstance.
Camera IconPremier Peter Malinauskas has revealed the state is predicted to be hit with another Omicron wave during winter. NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia
“Case numbers have come down quite dramatically (in SA). They’re currently around that 2000 number. However hospitalizations have remained about the same.”
The Premier said a slight hospitalization increase was also possible with the predicted wave.
“It won’t be dramatic, but any increase on the hospital system is something we’re concerned about, given thesystem’s strainr.”
Mr. Malinauskas said the variant was not believed to be more severe than previous strains but was more transmissible.
Camera IconMr Malinauskas said the case spike’ should not be a cause for panic’. NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia
According to SA Health data, the latest genome sampling taken between June 1 and 7 found 83.7 percent were of the BA.2 strain.
Health Minister Chris Picton said the health system was already under “extreme pressure,e” and all employees were” working their guts out” with flu and Covid-19 patients.
The state recorded 11 deaths, including a woman in her 40s, and 2270 new infections over the past 24 hours.
There are currently more than 16,000 active cases across the state.
