The South Australian government has said it will not delay the start of the school year by a fortnight, despite a push by the teachers' union amid the state's current COVID outbreak.
The state today reported 3,079 new COVID-19 cases and two further deaths — two men aged in their 80s and 90s.
A total of 285 people are in hospital, including 24 in intensive care and five on ventilators.
The state's ambulance and teachers unions have expressed concerns in recent days about the current COVID response and the impact on staff.
Premier Steven Marshall said he met with Australian Education Union (AEU) representatives this morning to discuss their concerns regarding the government's return to school plan
Queensland has delayed the start of its school term by two weeks — but Mr Marshall said that, in a meeting this morning, he knocked back a similar push by the AEU in SA.
"They did request that we delay the start of term one for two weeks – I couldn't accept that request," he said.
"I'm quite sure that the advice we have received from SA Health and the Education Department is the advice we need to be listening [to].
The union's SA branch president Andrew Gohl said he was disappointed the Premier was not willing to budge.
"There's a real disconnect at the moment between those who are making decisions, and those that are expected to implement and work at a classroom level with students," he said.
"Really the role of the union is to ensure a safe workplace and bridge that disconnect, and at the moment the Premier is not listening."
The union is polling staff over the next week on whether to take strike action.
The SA government has already committed to a staggered start to the school year, with different age groups to return at different times, and online learning also to play a prominent role.
Under the plan, schools will open from January 31 but only for vulnerable students and children of "essential workers".
Formal classes will begin on February 2, in person for reception and years 1, 7, 8 and 12, with students in the other grades learning from home for a fortnight.
'Very clear indication' of COVID peak
Mr Marshall expressed his condolences to the friends and families of the two men who died with COVID-19.
He said the latest daily case number was below the seven-day average and was another sign that the state had reached the peak of the current wave.
"I think this gives us another very clear indication that we are at or around that peak here in South Australia," he said.
"I think it gives us some optimism that the settings we have put in place are reducing those numbers down."
Mr Marshall said he hoped to see the number of COVID patients in hospitals "stabilise and reduce", and that he had asked Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier to further investigate the situation.
"There are a large number of people who are in hospital with COVID because they've got that infection but their infection isn't really what has driven them to go into hospital.
"It's nowhere near the 50 per cent that has been reported in other states but it is still a significant number."
Mr Marshall said there had been a reduction in the number of SA Health staff who are either COVID-positive or have been furloughed due to being a close contact of a case.
He said that number was now at 778 — down from 918 four days ago.
Mr Marshall held today's media conference outside the existing Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH), which has been earmarked for a $30 million upgrade while the new WCH is being built.
