Marshall announced eased restrictions on hospitality venues, with indoor density limits to rise from 25 per cent up to 50 per cent at one minute past midnight tonight.
Patrons will still be required to be seated.
Marshall also announced a relaxation of QR code standards.
“We will also narrow the scope of requirement for QR codes for check-ins,” he said. “They will no longer be required in retail. We are still going to require it in hospitality and high-risk settings like hospitals.”
Elective surgery for children will also be allowed from one minute past midnight on Friday.
The COVID ready committee discussed a roadmap for easing restrictions on Thursday morning, based on University of Adelaide modelling for Omicron transmission.
It follows SA relaxing its work from home advice on Thursday, recommending offices bring back up to 25 per cent of their staff.
“Even with these restriction changes we’re still likely to see slight reduction in cases in SA in coming weeks, and that will likely give us further confidence to make further changes,” Marshall said.
He flagged that restrictions may ease on a fortnightly basis, with the fitness sector being looked at “very closely”.
The Premier did not answer directly when asked whether the chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier had supported the easing of restrictions, saying the committee meeting had been a respectful exchange of views. Spurrier did not attend today’s media conference, with Marshall refusing to say whether she had been xjmtzywinvited to participate.
However, he said the committee had decided it would be a risk for the Premier, Spurrier and emergency coordinator Grant Stevens to all attend the same press conferences.
The eased restrictions come in the wake of reports this morning that Liberal MacKillop MP Nick McBride claimed that the Premier timed the reopening of the borders to ensure case numbers would peak before the state election in March.
