A woman in her 60s, who acquired Coronavirus while on the Ruby Princess cruise ship, has died at Canberra Hospital, bringing the ACT death toll from COVID-19 to three.
ACT Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerryn Coleman, said: “It is with sadness that I report that the ACT has recorded its third death from COVID-19″.
“I offer my sincere condolences to this person’s family and friends.
“My thoughts are with you in this very difficult time.”
Dr Coleman said this most recent death was a stark reminder of the danger of this disease, at a time when the number of cases was falling in the ACT.
“The very sad reality of this disease is that it is most dangerous for the elderly and the vulnerable, who are at a greatly increased risk of complications,” Dr Coleman said.
“While we have seen a flattening of the curve in Canberra, it is necessary that we all continue taking physical distancing seriously to protect these vulnerable groups.
“Staying at home as much as possible and practising excellent hand and respiratory hygiene will help to save lives. Only go out when you need to, wash your hands regularly, for 20-30 seconds each time, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
“These measures give us the best chance to slow the spread of this disease and protect our most vulnerable.”
Confirmed cases update
There have been no new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the ACT in the past 24 hours. The ACT’s total is still 103.
A total of 77 cases have recovered from COVID-19 and have been released from self-isolation.
There are currently two COVID-19 patients in Canberra hospitals. The remainder are isolating at home with ACT Health support.
The ACT has recorded three deaths.
The number of negative tests in the ACT is now 6,387.
General information
ACT Health is continuing to take appropriate public health action in line with national guidelines.
ACT Health advises that it’s important for Canberrans “to remain calm and keep informed, and to keep focussed on the practical things we can all do to protect ourselves, our families and the most vulnerable in our community”.
The ACT Government has established a dedicated COVID- 19 website for all information about the health and economic response to the pandemic in the ACT. For further information visit www.covid19.act.gov.au.
The ACT Government has also established a helpline to assist Canberrans through the challenges of COVID-19. The COVID-19 Helpline operates on 02 6207 7244 between 8am and 8pm daily.
ACT Health encourages all Canberrans to continue to stay up to date on developments through the new COVID-19 website, as well as ACT Health social media channels.
People who are concerned and want further information on the virus, can also call the Australian Government’s Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080. The line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For details on how the ACT stats compare to other jurisdictions across Australia, visit the Australian Government Department of Health website. This information is updated daily.
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