South Australia Scraps Pandemic Emergency Declaration After 793 Days

After 793-days South Australia has scrapped its pandemic emergency declaration.

Describing the move as a “historic and significant step forward,” Premier Peter Malinauskas made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon with Health Minister Chris Picton, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens and chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier.

"Today’s lifting of the Major Emergency Declaration would not have been possible without the hard work and sacrifice of South Australians over the past two years," the Premier said.

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Ending his role overseeing the pandemic response, Mr Stevens officially revoked the Covid orders at 12.25pm which had been in place since March 2020.

“On behalf of the people of South Australia, I want to thank Grant Stevens for his extraordinary service as State Co-ordinator since March 2020.”

The Premier added: “Without question, Commissioner Stevens’ effort has been one of the highest quality displays of leadership in our state’s history”.

“We’ve seen Commissioner Stevens have to make some of the most difficult judgment calls that have ever been made in the history of our state.”

“We should be under no misapprehension around the fact that there are South Australians still alive today as a result of the work of Grant Stevens, Nicola Spurrier and others,” he said.

The premier was however quick to remind South Australians that lifting the state’s Major Emergency Declaration did not mean the pandemic was over.

“We cannot be complacent. We must maintain vigilance to protect our community"

“That means getting vaccinated, wearing masks where required, getting tested if unwell, and quarantining while Covid positive,”  he urged.

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