South Australia has reported another seven deaths of people with COVID-19, as well as 4,696 new infections.
Key points:
- There are 23,183 known active cases in South Australia
- The number of people in hospital has dropped to 210
- Three women and four men who tested positive for the virus have died, SA Health said
SA Health said the deaths were of three women and four men, aged in their 80s and 90s.
The number of hospitalisations has dropped from 232 yesterday to 210 today, with seven of those in intensive care and two on ventilation.
After hovering around 21,000 in recent days, the number of total active cases has jumped back up and sits at 23,183.
Eight deaths were reported in SA yesterday, and there have now been 393 fatal cases in the state since the start of the pandemic.
The daily figure of 4,696 is about 400 more than the number reported yesterday and coincides with a slight uptick in the number of PCR tests administered.
Authorities in recent days have been urging flu vaccinations ahead of winter, partly to reduce pressure on the health system.
Earlier today, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) released data showing ambulance ramping in the state had worsened in the 2020-21 year.
The AMA report showed that only 54 per cent of patients were transferred from ambulances to hospital emergency departments within 30 minutes — significantly less than the 90 per cent target.
SA was the second-worst ranked state, after Tasmania, but outperformed the ACT and Northern Territory.
SA Health Minister Chris Picton said easing pressures on the system would be a major focus of next month’s state budget.
“We outlined a plan over four years — this involves building new hospital wards, significant investment in mental health, staff need to be trained and hired,” he said.
“The focus is on making sure we are building additional capacity, hiring additional doctors and nurses.”
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