Australia moved a step closer to normal life on Sunday, opening some internal borders and easing restrictions in regions affected by Covid-19, as the vast majority of the country has seen no new community infections or deaths for weeks.

South Australia, which last week became the epicentre of the country’s infections, reported no new community cases and lifted a drastic lockdown earlier than planned, with the state premier saying swift action had avoided disaster.

The number of active cases in the state stood at 37 after an outbreak linked to a returned traveller from Britain forced 4,500 people to quarantine.

“We have avoided a catastrophic situation in our state by following the unequivocal health advice,” Premier Steven Marshall told a news briefing.