The ACT has recorded 489 new COVID-19 cases in the latest update as the mask mandate looks set to continue through the Canberra winter.

Of the new cases, 303 were from PCR tests while there were 186 positive rapid antigen tests.

Hospitalisations continue to decrease as 50 patients are now in hospital with COVID-19.

Three of the patients are in intensive care, while one is on a ventilator.

The ACT has now recorded a total of 40,538 cases since the start of the pandemic with 31 virus-related deaths.

The news comes as ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the indoor mask mandate is set to remain in place for several months.

“Indoor mask wearing is not a big imposition on people, it’s something that’s very simple for all of us to do to just reduce the risk of transmission,” said Ms Stephen-Smith.

“It’s one of the ones that the chief health officer has said she expects will remain in place, probably right through winter from this point.”

Despite masks likely to stay, Ms Stephen Smith said that some health measures including density limits in hospitality and retail venues and the ban on dancing in nightclubs, could be scrapped on 25 February.

“Obviously, we would hope that we would see the situation continue to improve in the ACT and that we’re able to remove those restrictions,” she said.

“But we’ll continue to monitor that over the next couple of weeks.”

The ACT Government recently extended its COVID-19 public health emergency declaration until 13 May with Ms Stephen Smith saying the move was necessary due to the rapidly changing pandemic.

“What we know from this pandemic is that things can change very quickly so we also need to be able to respond to the emergence of a new variant or a new wave.

“That’s why it’s really important that our public health emergency declaration remains in place so that we can respond to the changes that we know can happen quite quickly in this pandemic.”

Canberrans have also been advised that a large scale vaccine mandate protest is expected at Parliament House tomorrow morning.

Booster needed to be ‘up to date’

Australians will soon need a third dose to be considered up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations.

Following the latest advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, people over 16 years who have received a COVID-19 booster will be considered “up to date”. 

But those who got their second dose more than six months ago and are yet to get their booster will be considered “overdue”.

The updated advice from the advisory group will come into effect at the end of March.

Meanwhile, AAP reports that authorities in Sweden, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates have announced an easing in coronavirus restrictions and vaccine mandates.

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