The ACT has recorded two new cases of COVID-19 in hotel quarantine overnight, bringing the total number of active cases in the Territory to four.
Both of these new cases are in hotel quarantine after arriving on the government-facilitated flight on 1 March. Both were tested as part of day 5 testing yesterday, Saturday 6 March. As such, there are now four active cases in the ACT, all in hotel quarantine.
The number of negative tests recorded in the ACT is now 175,611 with 538 tests in the past 24 hours*.
As at 11.59pm Friday 5 March the total number of COVID-19 vaccinations administered by the ACT Government in the ACT is 1,949.
(Note: ACT Health will not be updating vaccination numbers today, Monday and Tuesday. Updates to vaccination numbers will resume Wednesday 10 March.)
Results from Day 5 testing of returned travellers
Two individuals in hotel quarantine from the current Government-facilitated flight returned positive COVID-19 test results on day 5 testing conducted yesterday. They are a female and a male, both in their 40s. Both individuals are well and are being supported by ACT Health. As with the previous two cases reported earlier this week, the new cases will be cared for in a separate area of the hotel from other returned travellers.
The new female case is a family member of the teenage male who tested positive earlier this week. She has been in quarantine with him.
The new male case was seated in an adjacent row to a previously identified case during the flight to Canberra.
Genome sequencing will be conducted early next week.
ACT Health advises Day 5 testing was offered to all returned travellers from the government-facilitated flight to help identify any further cases early during the quarantine period. Any returned traveller who experiences any symptoms of COVID-19 at any point during the 14-day quarantine period will also be tested.
According to ACT Health, the ACT has strong systems in place for hotel quarantine that are designed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. As part of this, all staff working in hotel quarantine follow stringent PPE and infection control processes, and participate in the Safeguarding Canberrans (SCAN) program in which they undergo daily symptom screening and regular COVID-19 testing.
There are no COVID-19 patients in Canberra hospitals.
General information
ACT Health advises “it is everyone’s responsibility to follow the health advice and do what we can to ensure we keep ourselves and the community safe. We ask Canberrans to:
- Physically distancing from other groups whenever possible
- Continue good hand and respiratory hygiene
- Use the Check In CBR app to check in when out and about
- Stay home if unwell and get tested if experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms
- Monitor travel advice.”
The COVID-19 vaccine currently being rolled out in the ACT is in Phase 1a. Canberrans are encouraged to stay up to date via the ACT Government COVID-19 website. This website will be updated regularly and ACT Health will continue to let the community know about how the COVID-19 vaccine will be rolled out over the coming months.
The ACT Government has 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.
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