All directions issued under the Emergency Management Act aim to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the South Australian Health System has the capacity to care for those affected.
Directions to businesses to cease, or restrict operations to take away or online sales only has had a positive impact on slowing the spread of COVID-19 in South Australia.
It is acknowledged the impact these restrictions have had on the entire business sector and the community has been significant.
In more recent times restrictions have focussed on particular regions and businesses in a further effort to remove the incentive for residents of South Australia and tourists from interstate and overseas to travel to these locations.
Wineries (with associated cellar doors), and businesses which similarly draw local, interstate and international visitors have been the focus of these directions. These directions aim to remove the incentive for people to travel to and gather in these areas. On Friday 9 April specific directions were given to two businesses in the Adelaide Hills requiring them to trade on the same basis as wineries and cellar doors. The purpose of these directions is to align these businesses with others in the Adelaide Hills reducing the risk that visitors will attend and potentially spread the virus.
Businesses located in the metropolitan area or townships have not been the focus of these directions acknowledging they service local communities and don't draw the same volume of people as the large country regions do collectively.
While this creates a perception of inequity, the strategy of discouraging travel more broadly is working to stop the spread of the virus, keeping those communities and South Australia safe.
All directions are subject to constant review and based on the advice of SA Health with the mission clearly in mind – 'slow the spread, flatten the curve'.
