A new Direction has been issued in relation to the Stay at Home requirements for South Australia as a Circuit Breaker to the current COVID-19 outbreak.

The Emergency Management (COVID-19) (Stay at Home) Direction 2020 has been issued. This Direction comes into effect as of 0001 Thursday 19 November 2020 and is applied alongside all other Directions that are currently in place under the Emergency Management Act 2004 (SA) but prevails where any inconsistencies may arise.

KEY FACTS

The Stay at Home period began at 12.01am on Thursday 19 November will end on 12:01am on Wednesday 25 November 2020. All people in South Australia will be required to Stay at Home for the entire period.

Community activities including business, professional, educational, academic and government activities must stop operation unless it is carried out in line with this direction or does not involve leaving the home.

Once the Direction commences people must travel as quickly as possible, but within 24 hours, via the most direct practical route home and must remain there for the entire period.

This does not apply if a person is otherwise advised by a medical practitioner to relocate. Similarly,  this is not applicable to a person if they do not have a home to reside, if it unavailable or if the person is at risk of harm if they were to stay.

All gatherings are prohibited other than between those who ordinarily reside at the home or as part of an activity occurring in accordance with this direction.

ESSENTIAL WORKERS

A person may leave the home for the purpose of undertaking duties as an essential worker which are classified as those people who perform work which is essential for the continued operation of any of the following operations/businesses;

• a blood bank (including blood collection and delivery);
• air transport (including airports);
• Australian Border Force and Commonwealth law enforcement and intelligence agency services ;
• bottle shop;
• care services for people with particular needs because of homelessness, age, infirmity, disability, illness or chronic health;
• childcare, early childhood education, primary/secondary schools;
• consular and diplomatic services;
• distribution centre;
• emergency services being:
• ambulance services;
• firefighting services;
• medical retrieval services (including Royal Flying Doctor Services);
• military and defence services deployed activities in South Australia;
• paramedical services;
• police services;
• state emergency services;
• essential health services;
• essential infrastructure and essential services within the Essential Services Act 1981 (SA);
• factory or facility (only operations which would otherwise cause damage to the plant and equipment);
• financial institution;
• freight services (including postal and courier services);
• hardware store;
• hotel or motel accommodation;
• journalists and media services;
• National Heavy Vehicle Regulator compliance activities
• organisations that provide urgent services necessary for the health and safety of any person, animal or premises (e.g. plumbing, Centrelink services and Foodbank);
• pet store or veterinary clinic;
• petrol station;
• pharmacy;
• post office;
• primary industries (only to ensure adequate supply of food and care of crops and animals);
• production and distribution of food for sale by supermarket/butcher/fruit/vegetable store/fishmonger other than production at a red meat abattoir, liquor sales at a bottle shop and medical and pharmaceutical products;
• public transport (including taxis and other public passenger services)
• state or local government services which are deemed essential by their Chief Executive;
• supermarket, butcher, fruit and vegetable store or fishmonger (but not an indoor or outdoor market);
• truckstops and roadhouses; and
• vehicle repair and mechanical services (including roadside assistance).
• 
  

REASONS TO LEAVE HOME

One person can leave their home, per day, for the purposes of obtaining essential goods or service from a:

• consular and diplomatic services;
• distribution centre;
• financial institution;
• hardware store;
• home commonly known as a bottle shop;
• pet store or veterinary clinic;
• petrol station;
• pharmacy;
• post office;
• supermarket, butcher, fruit and vegetable store or fishmonger (but not an indoor or outdoor market);
• urgent services necessary for the health and safety or any person, animal or premises; and
• vehicle mechanical services.
• shops defined above may open and close at any time for the purposes of essential goods or services.  A person may leave home with a dependent if they cannot be left at home alone.
• People may also leave their home to:
• access child care, primary or secondary education services if the child is that of an essential worker, resides in the care of the State or there are circumstances of vulnerability;
• adhere to shared parenting arrangements (court or otherwise);
• comply with a legal requirement at a place such as a police station, court or other home relating to justice or law enforcement;
• donate blood;
• ensure adequate supply of food, care and exercise to animals that are situated away from the home if no other person is available;
• escape harm or risk of harm, including in relation to family violence or violence of another person at the home;
• obtain essential health services;
• provide care and support to a relative or other person due to their health or because of homelessness, age, infirmity, disability, illness or chronic health condition;
• provide child-minding assistance so that the parent/guardian can leave to obtain essential goods or service and/or for the purpose of undertaking duties as an essential worker;
• provide end of life support to an immediate family member;
• undergo a COVID-19 test; and
• undertake work as an essential worker.
• 
  

People may also leave their home in an emergency situation.

In obtaining essential goods or services, or as an essential worker a person may use public transport . They must travel to and from the location via the most direct and practicable means.

ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES

The following essential health services are permitted:

• Emergency surgery, procedures and medical consulting where failing to provide will lead to loss of life/limb or permanent disability;
• Non-emergency surgery, procedures and medical consulting where failing to provide will lead to loss of life or permanent disability;
• Health services provided in a hospital Emergency Department, by a General Practitioner and at a hospital radiology service;
• Drug and alcohol services may be provided.
• Medical procedures or services that relate to the following:
• Procedures and surgical treatment by dentists in authorized public health care centres in the management of patients with obvious facial swelling due to infection, facial trauma or severe unrelenting pain;
• Procedures to complete a cycle of IV treatment that was commenced before the implementation of the direction or any procedure required for the preservation of eggs for future IVF which is required to prevent eggs from becoming non-viable; and
• Surgical termination of pregnancy
• 
  

Allied health services may be provided by applied health professionals when working in providing critical clinical care or in private practice or students, medical/nursing/midwifery/allied health on placement.

Mental health services may be provided in hospital emergency, at inpatient psychiatric services, by allied health professionals providing mental health services in hospital, private psychiatric practices or by allied health professionals in community settings with a preference of telehealth but face-to-face is permitted in the instance of emergency clinical care in life-threatening situations.

Please remain calm and be patient while we work together to get this information out to the community of South Australia.

All directions, frequently asked questions and other information can be found here: https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/emergency-declarations

You will need to wait for further information in relation to this however, if you have any pressing questions in relation to COVID-19 information please contact the SA COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787 between the hours of 9am to 5pm 7 days per week or go to the SA Health website at www.sahealth.sa.gov.au or www.sa.gov.au/covid-19