ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman is confident there is no risk to the broader ACT community. Photo: File.
ACT Health has moved to allay fresh concerns about COVID-19 in the ACT following confirmation of a new case yesterday.
While Canberra has again remained free of new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the ACT’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerryn Coleman, said she was mindful of the community’s concern about yesterday’s additional case.
“Her ‘low positive’ test result, in addition to information obtained during the investigation, strongly indicates to us that this individual is shedding low levels of dead viral fragments and she is not currently infectious,” Dr Coleman said today.
“Our extensive investigation shows that the individual was most likely to be infectious with COVID-19 while overseas. ACT Health is confident that she would not have been infectious by the time she completed her quarantine in Australia.
“I just want to reiterate that ACT Health is confident that there is no risk to the broader ACT community.
“The female individual returned to Australia more than a month ago and undertook her mandatory two-week self-quarantine. ACT Health investigations show that she acquired the virus overseas.
“The two-week quarantine period is in place because the research shows us this is the likely maximum incubation period for the virus, allowing us to identify anyone may develop symptoms during this time.”
Dr Kerryn Coleman also urged Canberrans to get tested if they have any symptoms of COVID-19.
“The ACT is still in a great position and we want to use this advantage to do more testing of people with symptoms,” Dr Coleman said.
“This will give us the best view of COVID-19 in the community and provide us with the data we need to move forward.
“I am again asking everyone who is showing symptoms, or believes they may have symptoms, to get tested as soon as possible.”
Options for getting tested in the ACT are on the dedicated COVID- 19 website. The ACT Government has also established a helpline to assist Canberrans through the challenges of COVID-19. The COVID-19 Helpline is now live and will operate on 02 6207 7244 between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm daily.
A total of 103 people have recovered from COVID-19 and have been released from self-isolation. The ACT’s of positive cases total remains at 107.
The number of negative tests in the ACT is now 9722, following an additional 201 tests in the past 24 hours.
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