COVID-19 vaccination clinics across South Australia will remain open as the state braces for an expected 8000 cases a day.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said eight clinics were set to close this week and all others, with the exception of two state-run clinics, were set to close within weeks.

“Only in recent days was my government advised there were vaccination clinics set to close in the coming weeks,” Mr Malinauskas told reporters on Tuesday.

He spoke to the media following an urgent emergency management council on Thursday — which was held due to a spike in COVID-19 hospitalisations.

On Tuesday, South Australia recorded 5068 cases and four deaths.

The state also had 206 COVID-19 patients in hospital, 11 in intensive care and one person is on a ventilator.

“Two hundred hospitalisations is a big number … we are under no illusion the size of the challenge being imposed on our hospital system is extraordinary,” Mr Malinauskas said.

He said hundreds of thousands of South Australians were still eligible for a third dose of the vaccine and yet to receive it, with 200,000 others eligible for their fourth dose.

He reminded the community that without being vaccinated the risk of hospitalisation increases.

“We don’t want to go back to a situation where South Australians have to go back to tougher restrictions,” he said.

Latest modelling shows cases may reach 8000 cases a day before Easter.

The government will also roll-out a $2 million campaign to encourage vaccinations.

– AAP