South Australia has extended its COVID-19 vaccine rollout to all people aged 40 to 49 ahead of the allocation of $86 million in this month's budget to further expand the program.
The state has also approved access to the Pfizer vaccine for all disability workers, while SA Health has granted an exemption for the Geelong AFL team to enter SA for the game against Port Adelaide on Thursday night.
Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier said the travelling group would be limited to 50 people and testing requirements would be rigorous, with players required to return a negative result before being allowed to travel into SA.
The Geelong team has also been placed in quarantine from Monday night and will need to sign a declaration that they have not visited any sites of concern in Victoria.
They will fly in on a charter plane and leave immediately after the game, as Collingwood did for their match against the Adelaide Crows last weekend.
"We've got SA Pathology on board to do the rapid turnaround of tests," Professor Spurrier said.
Premier Steven Marshall said giving every South Australian access to the vaccine was a key priority and the budget allocation would allow efforts to be maximised.
"This $86 million investment will mean SA Health will have the resources they need to be able to pivot where required to get this vital vaccine into the arms of South Australians," he said
"South Australia's health and economic response to the pandemic has led the world, and we will continue to scale up the state's vaccine rollout in a way that maximises our vaccine supplies, protects South Australians and aligns with the latest health advice."
SA has reported two new coronavirus cases, both in returned travellers who are in hotel quarantine.
The state currently has five active infections, all in hotel isolation.
Australian Associated Press
