SA Premier Warns Changes To Isolation Rules Not A Given Despite Emergency Talks

Premier Peter Malinauskas has said the highly anticipated announcement on relaxing South Australia's isolation rules for Covid close contacts might not happen today amid a “range of competing variables".

The Premier has called the Emergency Management Council meeting for 4pm Friday, following Victoria and New South Wales announcing eased health regulations set to come into effect today.

Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The SA Briefing - keeping you in the loop with news as it hits

Presumptuous to draw to conclusions before the meeting had occurred, Mr Malinauskas told ABC Radio Adelaide, that “there’s a range of competing variables that we need to take into consideration before we change these arrangements on close contacts”.

“I’ve said repeatedly ever since I took on this job that I have a legitimate aspiration to achieve national consistency where we can, where it is safe to do so, and where it is in accordance with the health advice and that’s what we will be discussing this afternoon,” he said.

“The changes in Victoria and New South Wales are very significant, they don’t come into effect until today, but we’re having a meeting today ahead of a meeting again on Tuesday just to make sure we’re doing all the work as thoroughly as we can.”

“The more information we can solicit and digest, the better the decision will be and my judgment was, given this change, let’s have a meeting at 4pm today, we’ll still have one on Tuesday, and whether or not changes come out of today’s meeting or next week’s meeting only time will tell,” he said.

On the agenda at Fridays meeting will be hospitals, vaccination rates, and businesses impacted by Covid, with the seven-day isolation rule causing “significant impact” on the sector, as well as families and the economy.

Mr Malinauskas said the aim was to “get the balance right”.

More to come.

For Australians looking for intelligent and unbiased news coverage, join renowned journalist Natarsha Belling on Your Morning Agenda for breaking national and international stories as well as the top business and finance stories - every weekday from 6:30am on Listnr