As the weekend fast approaches, and with WOMADelaide joining the countless number of fabulous events and festivals across South Australia held during Mad March, I write this letter to you all, on behalf of us all.
 
We welcome the recent easing of restrictions that saw us celebrating last weekend and we continue to advocate for further easings, making it clear that they should not be in place for one minute longer than required.
 
The strong position that we find ourselves in, in the midst of a global pandemic, is extraordinary and we are appreciative of that.
 
In the December Quarter of our Business SA – William Buck, Survey of Business Expectations, business confidence continued to climb after seeing the biggest jump in over 10 years from the September Quarter. With a couple of bumps along the way, South Australia has bounced back from the COVID-19 lockdown in November, and we are starting to enjoy some normality.
 
However, I am writing to tell you that this is fragile.
 
Last weekend, 36 businesses in South Australia were cautioned and 1 was fined for breaches of COVID-19 regulations including illegal dancing, lack of COVID safe plans, lack of identification of COVID Marshalls and QR codes. This week, we have heard reports that more businesses have been visited by SAPOL.
 
With no cases of COVID-19 in the community in South Australia since mid-November last year, weeks of zero community cases in Australia and the vaccination program now underway, we understand the feeling of complacency that comes with a good run … but, this is too important to get wrong.
 
As a State, we have led the nation. With many businesses taking action to ensure optimum compliance, going above and beyond gives our government the confidence to keep restrictions as close to ‘normal’ as possible. Businesses have traded to the best of their abilities, but the industries being penalised now, are among the ones that have experienced the most losses over the last 12 months.
 
It is up to businesses and the broader community to not let COVID fatigue get the best of us. We must work together as a state, to continue to lead the nation by auditing our COVID safe plans, checking in when we visit a business, reminding each other to play by the rules. We need to give our government the confidence to keep restrictions light and reduce the societal impacts that another potential outbreak might bring.
 
We are on the home stretch. Let’s make it to the finish line.
 
Kind regards,
 
Martin Haese
Chief Executive Officer