Emergency Management (Appropriate Surgery During COVID-19 Pandemic No 5) (COVID-19) Direction 2022, comes into effect at 12:01am on 4 January 2022.
The following surgical treatments and procedures may be performed in South Australia:
- Emergency surgery and procedures for conditions which would lead to:
- Loss of life; or
- Loss of limb; or
- Permanent disability.
- Urgent surgery and procedures for conditions where:
- a patient would come to harm if surgery is delayed;
- there is an increased risk of a loss of life or permanent disability if surgery or a procedure is delayed (i.e. procedures such as endoscopy, bronchoscopy, interventional radiology and cardiology).
- for Category 1 and Category 2 surgery as defined in the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Guidelines (see link below).
- Surgery and procedures undertaken in a community setting utilising local anaesthetic;
- Dental procedures and dental surgical treatments;
- Surgical termination of pregnancy;
- Elective surgery and procedures outlined in Schedule 1 of the Direction (such as IVF, joint replacements, cataracts and eye procedures or screening procedures -breast, bowel and cervix screening);
- Have an approved exemption to have surgery from either the Chief Executive of the Department for Health and Wellbeing, the South Australian Chief Public Health Officer or a deputy Chief Public Health Officer.
- Cosmetic surgery procedures performed in a community setting
Procedures may include, for example, endoscopy, bronchoscopy, interventional radiology and cardiology.
All other procedures not addressing significant medical conditions are not to be performed.
³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Guidelines means the Australian Government, Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council, ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Elective Surgery Urgency Categorisation guideline dated April, 2015:
Other existing requirements remain.
All existing directions, frequently asked questions and other information can be found here:
If you require further information you can call the SA COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787 between the hours of 8am to 8pm 7 days per week or go to the SA Health website at or
