South Australia has reported a fall in new COVID-19 cases with the number of people in hospital also dropping.

Premier Steven Marshall on Thursday said test results had revealed 3070 new infections, down from 3493 the previous day.

The number of people in hospital also dropped marginally from 125 to 123.

Twelve people remain in intensive care with one person on ventilation.

Despite the fall, Mr Marshall said the number of new infections in SA would continue to climb and the state was yet to reach the peak in the current outbreak.

“The forecast we’re starting to look at now is showing that we’re going to see increasing cases,” he said.

“But what we’re trying to do is to slow that spread so that it doesn’t overwhelm our health system and it doesn’t take out our entire health workforce.”

So far, 308 health workers across SA are away from work with the virus while a further 265 are at home as close contacts or for other reasons.

Mr Marshall confirmed close contacts in SA would soon transition from needing to have a PCR test to taking a rapid antigen test supplied for free by the government.

Officials were working through arrangements to determine how those tests would be distributed.

“We’ll be in a position in the next day or so to identify where those sites will be,” the premier said.

– AAP