South Australia Is Easing More Restrictions This Weekend

South Australia will ease some further restrictions from 12.01am Saturday February 26, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens announced in a press conference today.

As of this weekend, hospitality venues will be able to operate with one person-per-two-square-metre density indoors – with stand-up consumption permitted. Venues where there is only seated consumption will have three person-per-four-square-metre density. The outdoor density limit remains at three people per four square metres.

There are also changes to private functions in hospitality venues, which can now host dancing and singing, at one-person-per-two-square-metre capacity, for a maximum of 150 people. The same conditions apply to private functions in non-hospitality venues (and not at home) but for a maximum of 50 people.

Further to that: seated outdoor events can operate without density restrictions, seated indoor events can operate at three people per four square metres, and indoor standing events (or events with a combination of seated and standing patrons) can have one person per two square metres. Events with 1000 or more patrons must still adhere to a Covid management plan.

Buffets are also now permitted. There are no changes to mask rules.

The changes to capacity rules come as the state recorded another 1735 new Covid cases and three more deaths today. Stevens said the levelling hospitalisation rate and high vaccination numbers contributed to the easing of restrictions.

“The main consideration for us is the hospitalisation rates and ensuring that our health system is able to cope with additional cases in the community,” he said. “Whilst we may have seen fluctuations of case numbers in South Australia, we haven’t seen that specifically translated to ongoing and increasing admission rates in our hospitals.”

For more information on restrictions, visit covid-19.sa.gov.au. For the latest Covid-19 health advice, visit SA Health.