They might be hard to find at the moment but an additional million of the rapid antigen tests will be in the ACT later this month. Photo: Damien Larkins.
Marking a new daily high, the ACT has recorded 506 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8 pm last night.
The additional cases of COVID-19 take the ACT’s total active caseload to 1827 and of these, nine are in hospital and one person is in the ICU and being ventilated.
Of the Territory’s population above 12-years of age, 98.5 per cent are fully vaccinated (as of 24 December).
A total of 3101 negative test results were recorded in the 24 hours to 9 am this morning.
This is only a slight fall from the 3141 negative tests received in the 24 hours to 9 am on Saturday.
In the last reporting period, the ACT’s positive test rate is around 16 per cent and in NSW it’s around 20 per cent.
Some concerns have also been raised about a spike in the prices of rapid antigen tests with some pharmacies in Canberra reportedly selling the hard-to-find tests individually for an increased price.
The ACT will buy one million of the rapid antigen tests at cost price from NSW later this month.
But the ACT will also continue to work with other jurisdictions on a more long-term procurement arrangement, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said earlier this week.
“National Cabinet has also agreed to work on a concessional RAT supply arrangement to provide highly subsidised tests to low-income households,” he said.
ACT Health also announced yesterday that documentation for international travellers who require proof of a negative PCR test will no longer be provided at the Mitchell and Garran COVID-19 testing clinics.
Fees will apply for the service which can now only be delivered by Capital Pathology.
“International travellers are strongly encouraged to check with their destination, transit country, and airline for travel requirements and recommended timeframe required to demonstrate a negative COVID-19 PCR test prior to leaving (results from Capital Pathology can take up to 48 hours),” ACT Health’s advice read.
Interstate, new infections in NSW have dropped slightly to 18,278, although the state recorded two deaths and there are now 1066 people in NSW hospitals with COVID-19 and 83 in ICU.
Yesterday there were 901 people in hospital across the state and 79 in ICU.
NSW Health said 95 per cent of the population over the age of 16 has received their first dose of vaccine, and 93.6 per cent has had two doses.
Victoria has recorded 7172 cases and three deaths with 93 per cent of its population over the age of 12 being fully vaccinated.
There are 472 people in hospital and 52 people in ICU with 22 being ventilated. A further 46 patients are in ICU but their infections are no longer considered to be active.
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