Daily COVID cases have jumped again in South Australia after a four-week low yesterday, with the state today reporting another 3,560 cases.
The number of cases in hospital has increased to 245 — up from 225 yesterday.
Eleven of those patients are in intensive care and one is on a ventilator.
The figure a day earlier of 2,675 was the lowest daily figure since March 15.
The new cases represent a 33 per cent increase on the previous 24 hours, and the numbers coincide with a 21 per cent rise in PCR testing.
There were no further deaths reported, with 298 in the state since the start of the pandemic.
The hospitalisation figure of 245 is the highest of the current wave, and the highest it has been in several weeks.
There are 30,272 active cases in SA, and the total since the start of the pandemic now sits at 354,720.
Earlier, Australian Medical Association vice-president Chris Moy warned of a likely rise in cases off the back of the Easter holiday — including the spread of new variants.
NSW Health last week reported its first XE sequence in a recently returned traveller, while Victoria has found another sub-variant in its wastewater.
Dr Moy said the consequences of South Australia's decision to repeal its mask mandate should be monitored, especially amid the emergence of the XE strain.
"You can see people feel as though things have gone, but that's not the case.
"We just need to make sure we don't relax in terms of the vaccination and the boosters."
Dr Moy said that remained the case for people who had contracted the virus more than once, adding that it was not uncommon to contract the virus a second time within weeks of the first.
"There's definitely clear data now that people are getting re-infected, even as close as three weeks apart," he said.
