SA records 5679 COVID-19 cases as modelling shows peak yet to come

South Australia has recorded 5679 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, with modelling revealing the Omicron peak is still yet to come but likely less severe than first thought.

Premier Steven Marshall said 1747 of the new cases were from positive rapid antigen test results.

Six people have died after testing positive to the virus.

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South Australia has recorded 5679 new COVID-19 cases overnight.

There are now 246 people in hospital and 20 people in ICU with eight people on ventilators in South Australia.

“So, a reduction in ICU, an increase of one on a ventilator, but also an increase in hospitalisation,” Mr Marshall said.

Mr Marshall said there needs to be “caution” when interpreting the case numbers today.

“We were told by SA Pathology that because the previous day we were getting samples in much later, up until midnight because we were closed for hot weather between 10.30am and 5.30pm, it meant that many of the samples that are reported today are samples from two days ago, not from yesterday,” he said.

“It is likely to be lumpy for the next day or so.”

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Omicron peak to be reached as soon as tomorrow

Modelling has revealed the peak of the Omicron variant in the state is yet to come.

“We’re now told from the model that we saw today at the COVID-Ready Committee that the peak in South Australia is going to be between the 15th and the 25th of this month,” Mr Marshall said.

“The range in terms of that peak is going to be between 6000 and 10,000 cases per day.”

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The peak will also see a requirement for 370 hospital beds and 50 ICU beds.

It was originally anticipated the state would reach between 30,000 and 40,000 cases per day by the third and fourth week of January.

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Staggered return to school

Mr Marshall has announced there will be a staggered return to school for term one this year.

Schools will open from January 31 and classes will start from February 2.

“They will begin online for some students and face-to-face for others,” he said.

Preschool, Reception, Year One, Year Seven, Year Eight, and Year 12 will return to face-to-face learning from February 2 and the remainder of the year groups will begin classes online.

From February 14, the remainder of the year groups will return to face-to-face learning.

“I don’t like doing this. I would much prefer to have every single student back on the 31st of January,” Mr Marshall said.