The ACT has recorded 20 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night as a Canberra pathology worker tests positive to the virus.
The 20 infections are the highest daily number in Canberra since 18 November.
There are now 75 active cases in the ACT with the total number of infections since the start of the outbreak at 2,118.
Four people are now in hospital with active or cleared coronavirus cases with none in intensive care or requiring ventilation.
There have been 2,152 negative tests returned in the past 24 hours.
The news comes as NSW recorded a new record of 2,213 COVID-19 cases and Victoria reported 1,510 new infections.
Canberra pathology worker has COVID-19
A Canberra pathology receptionist has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing a number of colleagues into isolation as services battle a potential outbreak.
The exposure in the Canberra Health Services pathology testing reception area comes as testing numbers surge to fight the Omicron outbreak.
ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith says the receptionist tested positive on Thursday night, and there will likely be “quite a number” of people deemed close contacts.
“There’s still a bit of work to do to understand the exact impact of that and the CHS team will, as always, work really quickly to ensure those services have the least interruption possible,” she told ABC radio.
Some 5,160 COVID tests were processed in the ACT on Thursday, which Ms Stephen-Smith said was the largest number since August.
Private pathology companies were being contacted to see what assistance they could provide.
“People should be aware it might push out those turnaround times to slightly more than 24 hours,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“We’ve had an incredible record of meeting those turnaround times, but we’re not expecting any significant delays as a result of this.
“Canberra Health Services is now very experienced at managing exposures among their test teams.”
With AAP
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