The $59 million in pandemic response funding will ensure public testing can continue. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
A woman in her 90s has died overnight with COVID-19, taking the Territory’s pandemic death toll to 97.
The ACT has also reported 889 (536 PCR and 353 RAT) new COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours to 8 pm as the government commits almost $60 million to ongoing management of the pandemic.
There are now 143 people with the virus in Canberra Hospital. Of these, two are in the ICU and one requires ventilation.
Yesterday’s ACT Budget allocated $59 million to the public health response.
This will be used to continue to fund the Health Emergency Control Centre, compliance activities, and testing and hospital services.
It will also pay for improved ventilation in public schools and the Office of the Coordinator-General COVID-19 non-Health.
Budget papers forecast a “step-down approach” to the COVID-19 response, although management and reporting of the virus would continue.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr delivered the Territory’s Budget yesterday. Photo: Lottie Twyford.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the ACT would need to continue to be able to respond to the pandemic.
“It is difficult to predict where the pandemic goes next, but in looking at the data sets, it is clear that the vaccines are working and the rate of hospitalisation has been decreasing as each successive COVID wave has arrived in Canberra,” he said.
“What I anticipate now is a period between waves and potential new variants. We will need to give thought to what risks could emerge over our summer.”
During the height of the pandemic, the government borrowed heavily to fund a $7 billion infrastructure program.
But Mr Barr said the current full-tilt infrastructure program would need to slow down to normal rates in the coming years.
Further major health investments – including to health infrastructure – were also made in this budget. These were pre-announced, as was much of the budget.
Active infections in the Territory continue to decline. There are now 4469 known cases and a total of 192,994 COVID-19 cases have been recorded since the pandemic began.
Yesterday, the ACT reported 754 cases and there were 158 people in hospital with the virus.
Four deaths were also recorded yesterday.
ACT Health is now providing weekly vaccination updates.
Interstate, NSW has reported 39 deaths overnight and 16,648 new cases of COVID-19.
NSW Health says this death toll includes 10 deaths notified through the NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages.
There are now 2288 people in hospital with the virus and 67 people in ICUs around the state.
Victoria has reported six deaths overnight and 9122 cases of COVID-19.
There are now 743 people hospitalised with the virus and 40 patients are in the state’s intensive care units.
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