Canberra has recorded 810 new COVID cases overnight as Chief Minister Andrew Barr provided an update on the Omicron variant in the ACT.

There are 16 people in hospital with active or cleared cases of the virus. The number of people in intensive care and requiring ventilation remains at one.

The number of active COVID cases in Canberra is now up to 3,069.

2,683 negative tests were returned in the past 24 hours while the ‘fully vaccinated’ rate in Canberra remains at 98.5 per cent.

In a throwback to the press conferences seen early in the ACT lockdown, Barr said that the Omicron variant is far less likely to cause hospitalisation than the Delta strain.

“In a strongly vaccinated community like ours, Omicron is more transmissible than Delta, it has a shorter incubation period, but it produces a milder infection,” said Barr.

“It is 70 per cent less likely to cause hospitalisation.”

Barr said that he expects case numbers to continue to rise before then decline.

“Early modelling anticipates that case numbers will continue to grow for several weeks before reaching a peak and then declining,” said Barr.

In the ACT, approximately 375,600 people have had one dose of the COVID vaccine, 369,900 people have had two doses while around 60,000 have now had three doses.

Barr also announced the ACT will be expanding the capacity of the Territory’s mass vaccination hubs.

“The ACT Government will be expanding the capacity in our mass vaccination clinics to deliver around 32,500 vaccinations at those clinics each week,” said Barr

“These will be delivered at the AIS Arena mass vaccination hub and a second hub at Canberra Airport that will be reopened to boost the program.”

Health Minister Rachel-Stephen Smith said hospitalisations in the ACT were expected to rise next week.

Modelling has shown the number of COVID-related hospitalisations from 10 January to be between 19 and 60 patients.

Ms Stephen-Smith said hospitals have seen people coming in for non-COVID related matters that have the virus.

“The hospitals have already seen people coming for a non-COVID related illness or accident who have a COVID-19 infection,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.

“This is the same as other jurisdictions and will only increase as the widespread transmission in our community continues.”

As a result, she said the way COVID-19 is managed in our hospitals will now have to change.

“Only COVID patients with respiratory symptoms will be cared for in a designated COVID ward or area,” she said.

“Other patients, including those with mild or asymptomatic COVID, will be cared for in the most appropriate ward for their condition.”

Demand for COVID testing in the ACT remains high with the Garran and Mitchell facilities at capacity as of 11.41am this morning. The Kambah site has a wait time of four hours while Nicholls is at one and a half hours.

The rapid antigen test debate

Meanwhile, opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has challenged the prime minister to make rapid antigen tests free, backing calls for them to be available for all Australians.

It comes following widespread shortages of rapid tests across the country, which have also contributed to hours-long queues at testing sites in the wake of exploding COVID-19 case numbers.

“It’s very clear the simplest way to do it is to make tests free and make them available,” he told reporters in Sydney.

“People are crying out for action, the economic consequences of this government’s failure to put in place a proper system are there for all to see.”

Scott Morrison has been under increasing pressure in recent days to make the rapid tests free as infections surge.

The calls come ahead of a national cabinet meeting later on Wednesday, the first for 2022, where the prime minister is expected to outline a proposal for rapid tests to be subsidised.

The ACT secured one million rapid tests from NSW at cost, which will be provided from 17 January as many outlets in Canberra are out of stock.

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