South Australia recorded no COVID-19 deaths and 2089 cases on Tuesday, up from 1577 cases on Monday and 1688 on Sunday. There are more than 19,000 active cases across the state.
However, the number of people hospitalised with the virus has dropped to 97 – the first-time hospitalisations have been below 100 since January 3.
There are 13 people in intensive care and two on a ventilator.
Marshall said hospitalisations numbers were “very stable” having dropped from nearly 300 people last month.
“I think that should give every South Australian confidence that as we have the COVID-ready committee this week we’ll continue on that trajectory of reducing those restrictions, freeing up South Australia,” he told reporters yesterday.
“But I do emphasise that we cannot become complacent.”
Friday’s planned lift on restrictions is the last time restrictions are scheduled to be lifted before the March 19 state election.
Asked whether there was any scope to further ease restrictions after Friday but before the election, Marshall said: “What we’ve tried to do over the last six or eight weeks is ease the restrictions in two weekly blocks because that gives us the ability to look at what the effects of easing the restrictions have been.”
“Pleasingly, though, we’re seeing the number of people in hospital plummet, so that will give us even more confidence to reduce the restrictions later this week,” he said.
A one-person per two-square metre density cap remains in place for hospitality venues that allow stand-up drinking, as do mask mandates for high-risk venues, indoor public places and public transport.
Singing and dancing bans at public venues also remain in place as does a cap of 50 people for home gatherings and 150 for private functions.
Labor pledges to strengthen disability watchdog powers
Labor has promised to strengthen the powers of the Community Visitor Scheme – the independent safeguarding body for people living with disability and mental illness – if elected at this month’s state election.
It comes a day after the case of ‘Mr D’ – whose treatment in the state government’s Hampstead facility led to a scathing independent review – returned to the spotlight.
Human Services Minister Michelle Lensink attempted to downplay complaints by first responders about the man’s condition, which sparked the ire of one of those paramedics.
The Mr D case had previously prompted calls to reinstate the full powers of the Community Visitor, an independent statutory scheme that visits and inspects mental health facilities, hospital emergency departments, state-run disability accommodation and NDIS clients under guardianship in non-government organisations, but whose powers were reduced by the Marshall Government in 2019.
The Disability Rights Advocacy Service said last month that “the effectiveness of this scheme has been diminished, allowing events such as the one at Hampstead to occur”, with “the responsibility for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of people living with disability who reside in facility care being handballed to the Commonwealth”.
But Labor has announced if elected it will “revamp” the Community Visitor Scheme, investing $1 million to reinstate its previous powers – and extend them further – “to ensure safeguarding oversight in government-run homes, non-government disability support services, and where necessary, in private homes”.
The power to visit private homes appears prompted by the 2020 neglect death of Ann Marie Smith, who lived with cerebral palsy – and whose former carer Rosa Maione has pleaded guilty to her manslaughter.
Smith’s death prompted the former Principal Community Visitor of SA’s Community Visitor Scheme, Maurice Corcoran, to publicly slam “the reduction in scope and coverage of the SA CVS”.
“In May 2019, the Marshall government made a decision to reduce the coverage and scope of the CVS and prevented it from visiting individuals with disabilities in group homes and cluster homes who are being supported by Non-Government Organisations (NGOs),” Corcoran said in a letter to InDaily at the time.
“This resulted in the CVS no longer visiting 2200 individuals in houses and accommodation that were providing personal support from NGOs and private companies.”
– Jemma Chapman
US bans Russian oil imports
President Joe Biden announces bans on Russian oil in response to its war on Ukraine. Photo: Oliver Contreras/Sipa USA
US President Joe Biden has announced a ban on Russian oil and other energy imports, a significant move in piling pressure on President Vladimir Putin to halt his forces’ devastating assault on Ukraine.
It comes as Ukraine’s government accused Russian forces of shelling a humanitarian corridor that Russia had promised to open to let residents flee the besieged port of Mariupol.
The civilian death toll in the conflict has mounted and, with the war in its 13th day, the number of refugees who have fled Ukraine to neighbouring countries surged past two million.
“Russia may continue to grind out its advance at a horrible price but this much is already clear: Ukraine will never be a victory for Putin,” Biden told reporters at the White House.
Announcing the US ban on Russian energy imports, Biden said: “That means Russian oil will no longer be acceptable in US ports and the American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin’s war machine.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing the UK parliament via videolink, urged the world to increase the sanctions.
He said his people would fight to the end against the Russian invaders but it needed help, including no-fly zones.
“The question for us now is to be or not to be,” said Zelenskyy.
“I can give you a definitive answer: it’s definitely to be.”
Lawmakers gave him a standing ovation.
Sanctions imposed over the invasion have already cut off Russia from international trade and financial markets.
Russia is the world’s biggest exporter of oil and natural gas, and until now its energy exports had been exempted from the international sanctions.
The US is not a leading buyer of Russian oil but Biden has worked with allies in Europe, who are far more reliant on it, to isolate Russia’s energy-heavy economy and Putin.
The UK announced shortly before Biden’s remarks that it would phase out the import of Russian oil and oil products by the end of 2022.
Ambulance service investigates deaths of two patients
The South Australian Ambulance Service has apologised to two families and launched an internal investigation after two patients died waiting for an ambulance on Monday.
The ambulance union reported on Tuesday that the first death occurred in the early hours of Monday morning when a priority one patient in cardiac arrest waited 14 minutes for an ambulance when they should have only waited for eight minutes.
The union said the second death occurred on Monday night, when a priority two patient with chest pain waited 35 minutes for an ambulance, when they should have only waited 16 minutes.
The SA Ambulance Service confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that an internal review into the incidents is underway and the agency has apologised to the patients’ families.
“SAAS offers sincere condolences to the loved ones of both patients during this extremely upsetting time,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“While many factors influence SAAS’s response to a patient, we continue to implement measures where possible to enhance patient care and improve our response times.
“Our ambulance crews have a difficult and tremendously important job. It is undoubtedly distressing for everyone involved when a patient outcome is not positive and when SAAS fails to meet community expectations.”
But Opposition health spokesperson Chris Picton this morning said “sorry just isn’t good enough when we have seen this happen again and again”.
“The only acceptable response is to properly fund our health system so we can prevent tragedies such as this,” he said in a statement.
Premier Steven Marshall yesterday reiterated that “we need to end ramping in South Australia”.
“Ramping is not going to be ended with slogans or scare campaigns – it’s going to be ended with a comprehensive plan,” he told reporters
The Liberals released figures last week – a month earlier than scheduled – showing ambulance ramping has nearly halved compared to October 2021, although health groups have attributed the decline towards the suspension of elective surgery during South Australia’s Omicron wave.
Rain finally easing but devastating NSW floods go on
Fxjmtzywlooding from a swollen Manly Creek is seen inundating cars and the street at Campbell Parade, in Manly Vale, north of Sydney, Tuesday, March 8. Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Parts of NSW hit with devastating flooding a year ago are in for even worse this time around as the state’s flood disaster continues.
Western Sydney’s Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment was being watched closely on Tuesday after torrential rain deluged Sydney, with multiple areas near the rivers experiencing major flooding.
The severity of the flooding would depend on how much more rain the area experienced overnight, the Bureau of Meteorology’s Dean Narramore said on Tuesday.
“But there is some good news,” he said, noting that a low-pressure system creating havoc in multiple states for more than a week is now moving south off the coast and expected to ease.
As the rain ends, strong winds will follow, bringing further danger by threatening to topple trees and down powerlines.
Soil saturated by more than two weeks of consistent downpours increases the risk of trees being blown over by strong winds, Narramore said.
About 4500 homes and businesses lost power in Shoalhaven, the Illawarra and Southern Highlands on Tuesday afternoon as storms downed trees and powerlines.
Endeavour Energy said about 1700 homes and businesses near flooding rivers in western Sydney were also without power on Tuesday night, and a further 300 were expected to lose power overnight.
The anticipated emergence of the sun on Thursday will not be the end of the risk, with many rivers likely to continue delivering major flooding until peaks subside.
Conditions worse than those of 2021 were already occurring on Tuesday afternoon in western Sydney on the Upper Nepean River at Menangle, and the Hawkesbury River at Lower Portland and Wisemans Ferry.
Levels higher than last year were also occurring at North Richmond, Windsor and Sackville, the NSW State Emergency Service said in a statement on Tuesday night.
“Rapid rises have been observed at Windsor where the river level has exceeded the March 2021 event and is likely to reach levels just below the March 1978 event on Wednesday,” it said.
Australia wicketless as Pakistan Test fizzles out to a draw
Australia has just three days to work out how to make a dent in Pakistan’s batting line-up after the hosts’ second innings on a docile Rawalpindi wicket ended at 0-252 and in a predictable draw yesterday.
In one of the most dour bat-dominated Tests in decades, Pakistan ended it on a high with opener Abdullah Shafique scoring 136, his maiden Test century.
Opening partner Imam-ul-Haq also made it twin tons for the game with his 111, as part of the highest unbeaten opening partnership against Australia in history.
Australia was never really interested in a contest that was over long ago as captain Pat Cummins saved his bowlers with the second Test in Karachi starting Saturday.
He bowled himself for just four overs on Tuesday, as spinners sent down 55 of the 77 bowled.
Australia, Pakistan and the ICC will all be hoping for a better wicket in Karachi, with the Rawalpindi pitch offering next to nothing for the bowlers.
But Australia also needs to find answers after their four wickets for the Test made for their least in history when sending down more than 200 overs.
