This is the latest COVID-19 information for people who live in South Australia. Things do keep changing with COVID-19. It is important to keep up to date so that you can stay safe.
If you would like to talk to someone about COVID-19 please call the Disability Information Helpline - 1800 643 787. Our Information Officers can help you find information for where you live and, for what you need. It is open Monday to Friday - 8 am to 8 pm.
From 12.01 am on November 19th there will be restrictions (or rules) in place. This is to stop the spread of COVID-19 after some people in South Australia tested positive to having it.
We will keep this article up to date so do check back in for the latest information.
Here's what is in this article
Current Rules for South Australia
Leaving Your Home | Essential Services/Business | Essential Health Services | Employment | Education | Hospitality/Entertainment | Exercise | Travel | Aged Care | Other | Penalities
Easy English Information
Auslan
How to Stay Safe
Testing
Masks
NDIS
Current Rules for South Australia
Leaving your home
When do the restrictions start?
The restrictions, known as the defined period, begins at 12:01 am on 19 November 2020 and ends at 12:01 am on 25 November 2020.
Essential services/business
What services/businesses will remain open?
The following services/business/activities can continue to operate:
- a supermarket, butcher, fruit and vegetable store or fishmonger (but not an indoor or outdoor market)
- premises commonly known as a bottle shop
- a financial institution
- consular and diplomatic services
- a post office
- a pharmacy
- a hardware store
- a petrol station
- vehicle and mechanical repair services
- a distribution centre
- a pet store or veterinary clinic
- Obtaining essential health services
- Urgent services necessary for the health and safety of any person, animal or premises
- Obtain a COVID-19 test
- Access childcare services, or primary or secondary education for a child if:
- the child is a child of an essential worker; or
- the child resides in the care of the State; or
- there are circumstances of vulnerability determined by a government agency, school, funded family or family violence service, and education or care outside the family home is considered necessary.
What reasons can I leave my home for in the next six days?
A person may leave home for the purposes of attending any of the following to obtain ESSENTIAL goods and services:
- a supermarket, butcher, fruit and vegetable store or fishmonger (but not an indoor or outdoor market)
- premises commonly known as a bottle shop
- a financial institution
- consular and diplomatic services
- a post office
- a pharmacy
- a hardware store
- a petrol station
- vehicle mechanical services
- a distribution centre
- a pet store or veterinary clinic
- an essential medical or dental treatment
- obtaining a COVID-19 test
- Access childcare services, or primary or secondary education for a child if:
- the child is a child of an essential worker; or
- the child resides in the care of the State; or
- there are circumstances of vulnerability determined by a government agency, school, funded family or family violence service, and education or care outside the family home is considered necessary.
Who can leave the house to get groceries?
One person per household can leave once a day to go to buy groceries. Note: a person may be accompanied by a dependant or a person for whom they provide care and who cannot be left home alone.
For what compassionate reasons can I leave the home?
The compassionate reasons a person can leave the home include:
- for the purposes of shared parenting arrangements, whether the arrangements are under a court order or otherwise
- homelessness
- to provide care and support to a relative or other person who has particular needs because of age, infirmity, disability, illness or a chronic health condition
- because of matters relating to the relative or other person's health (including mental health or pregnancy)
- to escape harm or the risk of harm, including harm relating to family violence or violence of another person at the premises
- to provide end of life support to a member of the person's immediate family
- to provide child-minding assistance (whether on a paid or voluntary basis), so that the parent or guardian of a child can leave their own premises
- for the purpose of undertaking duties as an essential worker
- to ensure adequate supply of food to, and care and exercise of, animals that are situated away from the premises if no other person is available at that place to provide the food or care or exercise.
Are there other circumstances that I can leave my home?
Yes. A person may leave the premises in the following circumstances:
- in an emergency
- on a day on which the fire rating is severe or higher, to take preparatory steps for the purpose of moving, and to move by the most direct and practicable means to another suitable premises
- to comply with a legal requirement that must be fulfilled during the defined period, including, but not limited to, attending:
- a police station
- a court or other premises for purposes relating to the justice or law enforcement system
- to donate blood
- if the person is permitted to leave Australia, for the purposes of leaving Australia.
Essential health services
What is deemed essential health services?
Essential health services includes:
- emergency surgery, procedures and medical consulting undertaken for the investigation, diagnosis and management of conditions where failure to do so expediently and safely will lead to the following outcomes such as loss of life, loss of limb; or permanent disability
- non-emergency but urgent surgery, where:
- loss of life where appropriate health intervention would otherwise have prevented this
- permanent disability where appropriate health intervention would otherwise have prevented this.
What can be performed by dentists?
The following medical procedures may be performed by dentists:
- procedures and surgical treatments undertaken by dentists in authorised public health care centres (consistent with Level 5 COVID-19 Dental Service Restrictions published by the Australian Dental Association) in the management of—
- patients with obvious facial swelling due to infection ie. vestibular swelling (no trismus), facial swelling (with trismus)
- facial trauma
- severe unrelenting pain.
Can IVF procedures be performed?
Yes, procedures to complete—
- any cycle of IVF treatment that a patient has commenced before the commencement of this direction
- any procedure required for the preservation of eggs for future IVF where required health treatment will render eggs non-viable
Can surgical termination of a pregnancy be performed?
Yes, the surgical termination of a pregnancy can be performed.
Can drug and alcohol services be provided?
Yes, drug and alcohol services may be provided.
What allied health services can be provided?
The following allied health services may be provided:
- allied health services provided by allied health professionals working as essential workers in hospitals providing critical clinical care or as directed by the hospital
- allied health services provided by allied health professionals working in private practice providing care through telehealth and other virtual care options
- students, medical/nursing/midwifery/allied health on placement providing essential care in hospitals or through telehealth.
What mental health services can be provided?
The following mental health services may be provided:
- hospital emergency or inpatient psychiatric services
- allied health professionals providing mental health services in hospital
- private consultant psychiatry practice by telehealth or by face-to-face (but only in the instance of emergency clinical care for potentially life-threatening situations where telehealth is not clinically appropriate)
- allied health professionals providing mental health services in community settings by telehealth or by face-to-face (but only in the instance of emergency clinical care for potentially life-threatening situations where telehealth is not clinically appropriate).
Employment
Who is deemed an Essential Worker?
Essential worker means a person who performs work that is essential for the continued operation of any of the following:
- a supermarket, butcher, fruit and vegetable store or fishmonger (but not an indoor or outdoor market)
- premises commonly known as a bottle shop
- a financial institution
- a post office
- a pharmacy
- a hardware store
- a petrol station
- a distribution centre
- a pet store or veterinary clinic
- the following emergency services:
- fire fighting services
- paramedical services
- ambulance services
- medical retrieval services (including Royal Flying Doctor Services)
- police services
- State Emergency Services
- military and defence services deployed in South Australia.
- essential infrastructure and essential services (within the meaning of the Essential Services Act 1981)
- vehicle and mechanical repair services
- roadside assistance services
- National Heavy Vehicle Regulator compliance activities
- government or local government services (whether provided by government, local government or outsourced) determined to be essential by the relevant Chief Executive
- consular and diplomatic services
- Australian Border Force and Commonwealth law enforcement and intelligence agency services
- journalist and media services
- a factory or facility that is not able to be shut down without causing damage to plant and equipment, but only those operations that are necessary in order to prevent that damage
- organisations that provide urgent services necessary for the health and safety of any person, animal or premises i.e The performance of emergency plumbing services, Centrelink services or Food banks
- public transport, including taxis and other public passenger services
- air transport (including the operation of airports)
- freight services (including postal and courier services)
- essential health services
- a blood bank (including blood bank collection and delivery)
- care services for people with particular needs because of homelessness, age, infirmity, disability, illness or a chronic health condition
- childcare, early childhood education and primary and secondary schooling services
- hotel or motel accommodation
- truckstops and roadhouses, including the provision of food for seated consumption at, or take away from, a truckstop or roadhouse by a truck driver
- production and distribution of food and groceries for sale by a supermarket, butcher, fruit and vegetable store or fishmonger (but not an indoor or outdoor market), other than production at a red meat abattoir; and liquor for sale at premises commonly known as a bottle shop; and medical and pharmaceutical products
- primary industries only to the extent necessary to ensure adequate supply of food and care of crops and animals.
I’m a FIFO worker, can I go to my job?
No.
I am an Essential Worker. Will I have to show ID if Police stop me?
Please ensure you have identification on you and where possible evidence to prove your workplace/occupation. This could include but is not limited to workplace id, uniform etc.
I work in the construction sector, am I able to go to work?
No. The construction sector is closed.
Education
Are schools open?
Schools are closed to all children except for children of essential workers, children in care of the State, or in circumstances where a child is considered vulnerable.
Are Universities/tertiary education facilities open?
No. Universities/tertiary education facilities are closed.
Will child care centres remain open?
Yes, but only for children for children of essential workers, children in care of the State, or in circumstances where a child is considered vulnerable
Hospitality / Entertainment
Can I keep my takeaway shop open?
No. All takeaway food shops must close. The only takeaway permitted is from truck or roadstops servicing the freight and transport industry, and only to truck drivers.
Are bottle shops open?
Yes. Bottle shops can remain open.
Are there any hospitality venues open?
No, pubs /cafes/ restaurants /food courts are closed.
Can I go to the movies?
No. Cinemas are closed.
Exercise
Can I leave the house to do some exercise?
Leaving the house to exercise is not permitted.
Will I be able to play any recreational sport?
No. Recreational sport is not permitted.
Can I attend a bootcamp?
No. Bootcamps are not permitted.
Travel
Can I travel to the regions?
No, regional travel is not permitted.
I had booking at a holiday home/rental home. Can I go and stay there still?
You will need to move to a suitable place where you can stay for the next 6 days, you will need to do this as soon as possible. This could include a Holiday home/rental home, but you will not be permitted to leave the home once you arrive.
Aged Care
Will residential aged care homes remain open?
No, residential aged care homes are closed, with the exception of end of life visits.
Other
Is all of South Australia impacted by these restrictions?
Yes. The restrictions apply to all of South Australia.
Is it mandatory to wear a mask?
No, however masks are strongly encouraged when outside the home.
Can I feed my livestock?
Yes, you are permitted to leave your home to feed livestock.
Can I go to the beach?
No.
Can I leave my house to walk my dog?
No.
Will my Veterinary clinic be open if my pet gets sick?
Yes. Vets are permitted to be open.
Are weddings permitted?
No, weddings are not permitted.
Are funerals permitted?
No, funerals are not permitted.
Can I conduct an open inspection?
No. Real estate open inspections are not permitted.
What will happen after the initial six days of restrictions?
It is anticipated that a further eight days of lesser restrictions will follow, but these will be detailed and provided in the coming days.
Penalties
Are there penalties for not following the Direction?
Fines will be issued to individuals ($1060) and businesses ($5060) who disregard restrictions.
Source: Government of South Australia
Easy English Information
There is a large range of Easy English information here. Other useful information:
We need space between us
Look for the signs
City of Adelaide Information
IDEAS encourages people to print and share Easy English information with people who may not have access to the internet.
Auslan Information
Expressions Australia provides updates in Auslan as part of thier daily news coverage.
How To Stay Safe
To stop the spread of COVID-19:
- Stay home if you are sick
- Wear a mask if you must go outside
- If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, get tested
- Stay 1.5 metres away from other people—think two big steps
- Wash your hands with soap and water, or hand sanitiser
- Leave a location if it is crowded.
If you have any concerns about your health, contact your doctor or contact National Coronavirus Information Helpline - 1800 020 080
Easy English Information - Look after yourself
Testing
If you have any of these symptoms you should get tested.
- fever (37.5 ° or higher)
- cough
- sore/scratchy throat
- shortness of breath
- loss of smell or
- loss of taste.
Find a testing centre - SA COVID-19 Testing Centres
Home testing in South Australia
These can be found in the COVID-19 Testing Centre menu above.
Patients need a referral from their GP to access home testing services.
For more information view the service links below.
- SA Pathology Domiciliary Service
- Clinpath mobile service for COVID-19 testing
- Check here if you are impacted by the cluster
You can also call us if you need help to find out more about where you can be tested.
COVID-19 testing for people with a disability
Masks
People have been urged to wear face masks every time they leave their homes for at least the next six days. However, it is not a rule yet. Police say some leeway will be given in the coming days as people get their masks, but they are expected to become part of the directions under the next set of restrictions.
Masks can help stop the spread of COVID19.
Masks should also be worn by anyone providing personal care, or where people can not be more than 1.5 metres apart from someone.
From the Australian Government
-
Coronavirus - Should you wear a mask? PDF Document -
Coronavirus - Should you wear a mask? Word Document
IDEAS encourages people to print and share Easy English and Easy Read information with people who may not have access to the internet.
Find out more about masks for people with a disability.
NDIS
If you need to organise more support or are not sure what you can use your funds for contact the NDIS.
Call the contact centre open Monday to Friday 8 am to 8 pm (local time). Phone 1800 800 110 and press number 5.
More Information
Is there something else you would like to know? Ask us! Call Disability Information Helpline - 1800 643 787
COVID-19 Disability Information
Easy English Coronavirus COVID-19 Resources
IDEAS COVID Directory listings
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