SA Health has detailed how medical staff will be able to remotely check the symptoms of COVID-positive patients who are isolating at home once the state relaxes border restrictions in less than 48 hours.
Key points:
- SA Health says it has 1,500 of the home care kits but can access more
- Information from oximeters and temperature probes will be provided to health staff
- A 24-hour hotline will be available
About 15,000 people have already registered to enter the state from Tuesday.
Travellers from every Victorian and New South Wales local government area will be permitted to travel, except for Byron Bay, which is yet to hit a vaccination rate of 80 per cent.
While incoming travellers will need to be double-vaccinated, SA Health is preparing for a surge in COVID-19 cases, and has 1,500 health kits to help people monitor their oxygen levels and body temperature from home.
“The vast majority of people who do become COVID-positive will no longer be going to Tom’s Court [medi-hotel] — they’ll be treated in their own home,” Premier Steven Marshall said.
Mr Marshall said different “types of apparatus” would be delivered to people who are COVID-positive so they can monitor symptoms.
Authorities expect about 5 per cent of COVID-19 cases will need hospital care.
“We still need to have supervised quarantine in place available for people who test positive, who cannot stay at home,” Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Emily Kirkpatrick said.
Dr Kirkpatrick said temperature measurement devices and finger-worn oximeters would work in conjunction with one of SA Health’s coronavirus apps.
“That information feeds directly into our SA Health team so we can contact you and ask further about your symptoms.
“As part of our home monitoring program … we are delivering monitoring kits to your home so you can measure your oxygen levels and your temperature, so oximeters which are placed on the finger will be delivered out to all COVID-positive patients in South Australia in addition to temperature probes.
“We have a large supply, well above the 1,500 we’ve ordered in.”
Dr Kirkpatrick said tablet devices would “allow for remote monitoring, particularly across our regional community”, and that patients would have 24-hour access to health support via a hotline.
“Every day you will receive a call in your home checking on your wellbeing, checking on your symptoms,” she said.
“We have a clearance process that is undertaken which then provides you with paperwork so you can go back to the workplace at the end of that period. It shouldn’t be seen as a frightening or a worrying time.”
Meanwhile, Adelaide’s first cruise ship of the summer holiday season has docked at Outer Harbor.
The Coral Adventurer will take on 80 passengers, as part of the industry’s launch of COVID-safe cruising.
SA Tourism Commission chief executive Rodney Harrex was upbeat about the future of the industry as it bounces back from the pandemic.
“These expedition cruise ships have been operating around Australia safely,” he said.
“We have a really strong COVID management program that’s in place and that’s to really reassure passengers.”
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