The ACT has recorded 32 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, 26 are linked with the remaining six still under investigation.
Of Canberra’s 32 new cases, seven were in quarantine for their entire infectious period while at least 24 were in the community while infectious.
Fourteen of the linked cases are household contacts.
Ten of the new cases are at the Haydon Calvary Retirement Village, with nine residents and one staff member testing positive, and more cases are expected to emerge among residents and staff over the weekend. Seven of these 10 new cases are fully vaccinated, three are either partially vaccinated or unvaccinated; 92% of residents are fully vaccinated and 97% have had at least one jab.
Investigations into how the virus was introduced into the facility are continuing. The initial infection of the two workers happened despite them being double-dosed and wearing appropriate protective equipment.
All staff working in this facility have elected to be single-site workers so there are no implications for other aged care facilities in the ACT, Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman told media today.
“What we know is that of the staff at the Calvary Haydon Retirement Community, 100 per cent have received their first dose and 53 per cent are fully vaccinated,” Dr Coleman said.
“In this way, we are very assured that the progress of this outbreak will be very different to what we saw last year when we were all very nervous about aged care facilities.”
Across the ACT’s aged care sector, about 87 per cent of staff are fully vaccinated while more than 99 per cent have received at least one dose as mandated.
Ten people are currently hospitalised with or due to COVID-19, four are in ICU with three requiring ventilation.
Eight are unvaccinated, and two are fully vaccinated who are not in the ICU.
The patients range in age from their 20s to 90s.
Two virus cases have also been reported in patients sharing a room at Canberra Hospital. There is evidence the initial case contracted the virus outside the hospital and they were asymptomatic when they attended the hospital for a procedure in what was then a green zone.
Health Services CEO Dave Peffer said a risk assessment was underway and staff and patients were undergoing testing.
“This sort of incident is not new. It has occurred more than 20 times in our healthcare facilities and we are prepared for it,” Mr Peffer said.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said on Saturday that as regional NSW health services began feeling the burden of caseloads, some COVID patients were being sent to ACT hospitals for treatment, a trend he expected to continue.
Mr Barr also did not rule out mandatory vaccination requirements in the ACT for those in high risk work places.
Authorities say more than 2,600 tests were conducted in the 24 hours to Friday evening, while almost 85 per cent of ACT residents have received a first vaccine dose and 58 per cent both.
The total number of cases for this outbreak is now 725 with 492 people recovered; 233 active cases remain.
With AAP
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