A new wave of COVID-19 has hit South Australia, with updated modelling predicting the state to record up to 7,000 cases over the next four days.
Case numbers have risen by 10 per cent in the past week with four schools having to close a class for a short period of time or enact mask wearing requirements in a bid to stop the spread of infection.
According to the South Australian Education Department, a class at Fulham Gardens Primary School began a short closure on Thursday and will reopen on Monday.
Staff and students have been told to temporarily wear masks at Fulham Gardens Primary School, McLaren Vale Primary School, McLaren Flat Primary School and Berri Primary School.
Modelling by the University of Adelaide expects the state to record an extra 600 cases a day by April 4, with hospitalisations expected to reach 220 before the end of next month.
According to SA Health data, the state recorded 3,179 COVID-19 cases compared to 2,888 last week.
There were 12 deaths reported in the same period of people aged from 60 to over 100.
There are currently 138 people in hospital, including four in intensive care.
SA's Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier urged people to consider taking a rapid antigen test (RAT) before visiting vulnerable family members over the busy Easter period.
"We can now all have another COVID vaccine if we haven't had one for six months or if we're six months from a previous infection," she said.
"I'm starting to think about wearing masks a bit more when I'm out in very crowded public places and as we start to see our number go up."
Early flu season
Professor Spurrier said the flu season was quickly approaching with 877 cases recorded so far in the state this year, up from six cases reported the same time last year.
"That doesn't mean that we're going to have a really bad season, it's too early in the season to tell," Professor Spurrier said.
"We're just starting to see a bit of an uptick and sometimes we have an early season and sometimes a late season."
Hepatitis A case
Professor Spurrier also said a case of Hepatitis A had been reported in South Australia with a young fast-food outlet worker contracting the disease after returning from an overseas holiday.
She said SA Health would be contacting those who worked with the individual at the restaurant in Adelaide's north-west and would also offer them vaccinations.
"Unfortunately there was only one toilet at this facility for staff to use, so there's about 70 staff that we're in the process of contacting this afternoon," Professor Spurrier said.
Professor Spurrier said an investigation was carried out which showed there was no risk to customers who visited the fast food outlet.
"The infection, prevention and control has been extremely good at this venue so we don't think that there's any risk to the public," she said.
Tuberculosis outbreak update
Meanwhile, SA Health reported another case of tuberculosis in the state's remote Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, following an outbreak which was reported earlier this month.
A woman in her 20s contracted the infectious disease, bringing the total number of tuberculosis cases to 11 in the APY Lands.
The woman was treated at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and is in a stable condition.
Another case of measles was also reported in South Australia this week – the sibling of the three-year-old who recorded the first case of the infection since 2019.
