Nat Bromhead
UPDATED: South Australians are now permitted to venture outside for exercise with the Premier and Police Commissioner updating the State’s Covid-19 lockdown laws.
SA Premier Steven Marshall has revealed that contact tracers were lied to by a Woodville pizza shop employee, thus triggering the state-wide lockdown.
The lockdown will now end at midnight on Saturday. Cycling and outdoor exercise restrictions have been lifted with householders permitted outdoors either alone or with members of their household.
EARLIER: South Australians will go into hard lockdown from midnight Wednesday, authorities announcing the measures will last a minimum of 6 days.
Outdoor exercise will not be permitted meaning no cycling and making it the nation’s strictest lockdown since the pandemic began.
“It’s unheard off – no countries have not allowed outdoor exercise,” prominent Adelaide-based cyclist Pat Jonker told us.
“Restricting people from exercise when some people need it for their mental health – that’s quite risky,” he said.
“I think it’s foolish to not allow outdoor exercise. I have a home gym and indoor trainer – but a lot of people don’t have that luxury. I think everyone in the state is gobsmacked by this – I expect them to relax the laws and allow some form of outdoor exercise.”
Blanket Restrictions
SA Premier Steven Marshall described the hard 6-day lockdown as a ‘circuit breaker’, and said the state wide restrictions include the closure of the following –
- all schools (except for children of essential workers)
- takeaway food outlets
- universities
- pubs, cafes, coffee shops, food courts
- all elective surgery
- open inspections
- all outdoor sport
- factories (except those required for food or medical production)
- aged care facilities will be locked down (no visitors except for organised end-of-life visits)
- holiday homes
The following restrictions will also be in place
- people must stay at home (except essential service workers)
- no exercise outside the home
- 1 person per household per day may leave to purchase groceries
- no regional travel
- masks must be worn outdoors
- no weddings or funerals to take place
- no construction to take place
- Fly-in, fly-out workers on standby
The following essential services can remain open
- water, power and telecommunications services
- supermarkets (with limited access)
- medical facilities (including mental health services)
- public transport
- airports and essential freight services
- petrol stations
- post offices and banking institutions
- mining and smelting operations, and factories that must be maintained
- childcare facilities for families of essential workers
- some government services
- veterinary services
- essential agricultural services
More to come.
