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Covid-19 SA: Why state won’t disclose road map out of pandemic

Emily CosenzaNCA NewsWire
South Australia won’t disclose when it will open up. NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi
Camera IconSouth Australia won’t disclose when it will open up. NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi Credit: News Corp Australia

South Australia is refusing to disclose its road map out of the pandemic because it has not yet received modelling needed to base its decisions on.

Health Minister Stephen Wade was again pressed on the issue on Friday, telling reporters authorities are expecting the modelling within the coming days.

“The government has made it clear once we’ve got the modelling from the modellers we’ll be able to give more details in terms of the pathway out. There is yet to be a date set,” he said.

“We’ve (responded) so well to the pandemic because we’ve listened to the health advice. We’re not going to change now.

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“We will continue to work with the public health team through the implications and the modelling to make sure our pathway out the safest way as possible.

“We are weeks away (from reaching the state’s vaccination target). Current projections suggest we won’t hit 80 per cent until late November or early December.”

Adelaide Airport
Camera IconSouth Australia signed up to the national plan, agreeing to open up once 80 per cent of its residents are fully vaccinated. NCA NewsWire /Brenton Edwards Credit: News Corp Australia

Premier Steven Marshall has long said the state would not have a “Freedom Day” like the UK, NSW and now Victoria.

He said the circumstances were different in SA because the state was not in a lockdown like those jurisdictions.

SA has agreed to the national plan to open up once 80 per cent of its eligible population is fully vaccinated.

But Mr Marshall and Mr Wade have repeatedly said the state’s restrictions would begin to ease once that target has been reached and it would be a “gradual” process.

The Health Minister on Friday said there were a number of variables that needed to be considered when easing restrictions, like the levels of social restrictions and practises with masks, and they all impacted on another.

He said authorities would still encourage more South Australians to get jabbed even after the state reached 80 per cent.

Mr Wade said it was encouraging to see the progress in other states, like NSW and the ACT, that had hit more than 90 per cent.

“That extremely impressive vaccination rate is similar with other countries overseas. South Australians can be very confident we're the best performing state in the pandemic,” he said.

“We should be the best performing state in terms of vaccination. I want us to push well into the 90s and not stopping at 80.”

Mr Wade fronted the media to announce a vaccination blitz that will run over the weekend. Walk-ins will be accepted at participating clinics and those who got jabbed can also enjoy a sausage sizzle.

Originally published as Covid-19 SA: Why state won’t disclose road map out of pandemic

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