There have now been more than 100,000 COVID-19 infections since the pandemic began. Photo: Region Media.
There have now been more than 100,000 COVID-19 cases reported in the ACT since the pandemic began.
That means almost a quarter of the Territory’s population has been knowingly infected with the virus, although some experts have suggested, and health authorities agree, the true number of cases is likely higher.
With the additional 831 infections recorded in the last reporting period to 8 pm last night (412 PCR, 419 RAT), there have now been 100,927 COVID-19 cases.
Relaxed rules for asymptomatic household contacts will come into effect in the Territory at 11:59 pm this evening.
From then, anyone deemed a household or close contact who does not have symptoms will no longer need to quarantine for seven days but will have to comply with a number of risk mitigation practices, including wearing a face mask in indoor spaces outside the home, working or studying from home if practical and avoiding high-risk settings.
Contacts will still be required to advise their employer or workplace, as well as ACT Health, of their positive status.
If they must attend an unavoidable gathering (such as a funeral or to vote in the Federal election), they must return a negative COVID-19 test result 24 hours before attending.
Contacts who need to attend work or study must also undertake COVID-19 testing and return a negative result 24 hours prior to returning to work or study and then every 48 hours if ongoing attendance is required.
The relaxed requirements have been described as a ‘balancing act’ between an increased risk of COVID transmission and the impact strict quarantine had on business and people’s lives by the ACT’s Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith.
Locally, there are now 69 people in hospital with COVID-19. Five people are in the ICU but none require ventilation.
The ACT recorded 625 infections yesterday, although no official figures were released as it was a public holiday. On Sunday, there were three people in the ICU.
The 831 new cases (412 PCR, 419 RAT) take the local active caseload to 5535 (2983 PCR, 2552 RAT).
The double-dose vaccination rate for the ACT’s five-plus population remains 96.8 per cent, and 74.9 per cent of residents aged 16 and older have now received a booster.
Of ACT residents aged five to 11, 63.4 per cent have received two doses of vaccine.
Interstate, NSW has reported 18 deaths overnight and 9849 new cases of COVID-19.
There are now 1695 people in hospital with the virus and 67 people in ICUs around the state.
Victoria has reported 15 deaths overnight and an additional 9265 cases of COVID-19.
There are now 455 people hospitalised with the virus, while 33 patients are in the state’s intensive care units.
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