The ACT has recorded 15 new cases overnight as targeted funding for Canberra’s business and community sectors have been announced.
Of the 15 new cases, 11 have been linked and the remaining four still under investigation.
Five were in quarantine for their entire infectious period and at least eight spent part of their infectious period in the community with the remaining two still under investigation.
Nine are now in hospital with or due to COVID-19 with one in intensive care requiring ventilation.
Of the nine, four are unvaccinated, one has received one dose, two are fully vaccinated and one is unknown
The total cases for this outbreak now stands at 556, 315 of which have recovered; 17 more than yesterday.
The youngest patient hospitalised with or due to COVID-19 is in their 30s with the oldest in their 70s.
As of today there are 241 active cases.
Testing numbers were down to a little over 2,500 yesterday.
Yesterday the ACT reached the 75 per cent milestone for first doses of our population aged 12 and up with about 51.5 per cent of the 12-plus population double jabbed.
As of yesterday, just over 97 per cent of staff working in aged care have received at least one jab ahead of the mandate implementation.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr announced a new COVID-19 tourism, accommodation provider, arts, events, and hospitality one-off grant scheme has been established in conjunction with the Commonwealth Government.
“Businesses in the tourism, accommodation … arts, events and hosptiality idnustries have been hit hard, not only by the current restrictions in the ACT, but before then by the lockdowns in NSW and Victoria and the border closures to the ACT,” he said.
The eligibility criteria for these additional payments will be the same as the COVID-19 business support grant.
Details of major community support package have also been released today.
This package includes funding to expand the capacity of existing community services to deliver specialist homelessness programs that commenced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
There will also be additional funding will strengthen legal aid capacity to represent, support and assist vulnerable people in the community.
This includes more frontline support for victims of family violence, the elderly and vulnerable witnesses.
Further support for refugees, mental health, and emergency food relief are included in the funding too.
Work is continuing on an additional mental health support package which will be announced in the coming days.
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