Canberra has recorded 32 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday, the highest number of cases ever recorded in the ACT in one day.
Of the new coronavirus cases in the ACT, 24 have been linked to current exposure sites or close contacts with the remaining 8 still under investigation.
Only eight of the 32 were in quarantine for the full duration of their infectious period, 19 were in the community for at least some of their infectious period while five remain under investigation.
Mr Barr said “the most concerning element for us now” is the number of people who were infectious while out in public.
The numbers in hospital with or due to COVID-19 remains at 10, while numbers in intensive care is at two. One patient is requiring ventilation.
“Our thoughts and our love go to those families who have loved ones in intensive care. It must be extremely, extremely difficult,” said Mr Barr.
More than half the cases, 55 per cent, are aged between 18 and 44.
The youngest person in hospital with COVID in Canberra is under 16 and the oldest is 54.
The ACT’s Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman said the 32 new infections means there are now 239 active cases connected to this outbreak.
“It’s our single highest number of confirmed cases in the ACT in a 24 hour period,” Dr Coleman said.
Mr Barr said the common issues are people not wearing masks properly, and workers forgetting to check in at their work site.
More than 2500 people were tested on Friday with some pop up clinics due to close on Saturday because of poor weather.
The chief minister again urged people to get vaccinated and told reporters he expects 70 per cent of Canberrans aged 16 and older will have received their first dose by Sunday.
Mr Barr said Canberra will net 86,797 Pfizer doses as part of Australia’s dose swap with the UK, significantly more than he had expected.
The amount is above the ACT’s population share due to a “rebalancing” across Australia for those jurisdictions that didn’t receive their share of the doses provided by Poland and Singapore.
“They don’t all arrive in one batch, they’re going to be coming week by week, but this will be a welcome boost to vaccinate more people more quickly,” Mr Barr said.
He added that pharmacies and GPs will administer many of the Pfizer doses, and pharmacies will also start giving out the Moderna vaccine.
The Moderna jab will be available for children as young as 12 by the end of September.
Year 12 students and their teachers in the ACT will also get priority access to the vaccines from Monday ahead of exams.
Mr Barr said the trend shows the territory’s vaccination rate will exceed 80 per cent of the population for those 12 years and older.
He blasted as “madness” commentary on reopening the country once 70 per cent of adults are fully vaccinated, given the scale of NSW’s outbreak.
With AAP
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