Man in his 30s among four COVID-19 deaths; ACT records 498 new cases

There are four people in the Territory’s ICU with COVID-19 today, including three people requiring ventilation. Photo: Canberra Health Services.

The Territory has reported another four COVID-19 deaths overnight, including one of the pandemic’s youngest local victims – a man in his 30s.

A woman and two men in their 90s also died with the virus overnight.

It’s yet another high day of fatalities, bringing the ACT’s total death toll since the pandemic began to 106.

There are 146 COVID-19 patients in hospital. Four of these patients are in ICU and three require ventilation.

Daily caseloads remain low – 498 (230 PCR and 268 RAT) new infections were reported to ACT Health in the 24 hours to 8 pm yesterday.

Epidemiologists have previously suggested deaths peak around two weeks after daily caseloads do.

Active cases in the Territory have also declined once again. There are 3414 known cases in the ACT and there have been 196,098 cases reported locally since March 2020.

Vaccination updates are now provided weekly on Fridays.

A number of students at Black Mountain School have been sent home to learn remotely until Friday.

Three classes at the specialist school will return to school next Monday, 15 August.

Last week, Years 5 and 6 at Ainslie School and Years 3 to 6 at Latham Primary School spent some time at home as COVID-19 made keeping all students on campus impossible.

High incidences of remote learning were recorded last term as high daily caseloads wreaked havoc on usual staffing arrangements.

Interstate, NSW has reported 25 deaths overnight and 10,043 new cases of COVID-19.

There are now 2265 people in hospital with the virus and 54 in ICUs around the state.

NSW Health says eight deaths were notified through the NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages and did not occur in the reporting period.

Victoria has recorded 44 deaths overnight and 6380 cases of COVID-19.