ACT health authorities have expressed concern after it was revealed a large number of COVID-19 cases were waiting for almost two weeks to get tested after their initial onset of symptoms.

The Territory’s chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said while Canberra was still on track to have its lockdown end as scheduled on October 15, many were delaying their COVID tests for too long.

The latest figures showed 10 per cent of coronavirus cases had waited more than five days after developing symptoms to get tested, while almost half of all cases waited two or more days to get tested.

“These statistics are going in the wrong direction,” Dr Coleman said.

“We must stay the course and be vigilant and continue to follow these public health directions until the current lockdown restrictions are raised.

“We need us to be in the strongest position possible as we change these public health measures.”

Among those changes will be a focus on high-risk COVID cases, rather than every person who tests positive.

Dr Coleman said health authorities would shift focus to those who represented the most danger to transmitting the virus to other members of the community.

“Reporting will change as lockdown eases,” she said.

“We do expect to see larger daily case numbers and we need to accept a degree of transmission in the ACT.

“This is inevitable due to a number of things, but mostly due to the highly contagious nature of Delta and more people in the community as we ease restrictions.”

The Territory will also move to mandate vaccines for all frontline healthcare workers, which includes workers in hospitals, hospices and ambulance staff.

The deadline for the vaccines has yet to be confirmed, but Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said it was likely healthcare workers would need their first dose by October 29, and be fully vaccinated by December 1.

Ms Stephen-Smith said she did not expect to see large numbers of health staff stood down due to the mandate.

The ACT now has 93.8 per cent of its over-16s with a first dose of the vaccine, and is leading the country for fully immunised residents, at 67.8 per cent.

There were 33 new COVID-19 cases reported in Canberra on Tuesday, with health authorities expecting there to be higher numbers once lockdown measures are eased.

AAP

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