The ACT has seen its first case of coronavirus where the source of the infection can't be identified. In all the previous cases, the person who infected someone had been traced.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But the health authorities say it does not mean there is "community transmission" of COVID-19 in Canberra - but there is the possibility of it.
"Community transmission" would mean that the virus was out there but in unknown quantities and able to infect people in a much wider circle. Previously, infected people had been abroad or had a known contact with previous cases.
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said that she would watch for patterns, say of people all being infected in the same part of Canberra, before she pronounced that there was this widespread "community transmission".
"It is an indicator though that there is the possibility for community transmission, which is why we need to continue with the great work we have been doing as a community to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the ACT," she said.
This case of an infected person from an unknown source was first detected three weeks ago and since then all possible contacts had been traced - without identifying any as the source.
The case that came from local transmission was one of two coronavirus cases in Canberra that were under investigation as to how the virus was acquired.
One of those cases was an intensive care staff member at Canberra Hospital, but test results have since confirmed the virus came from a close contact of the staff member.
It comes as the ACT recorded another 24-hour period without a new case of coronavirus.
The total number of cases remains at 103.
There has only been one new case recorded in the past week.
Health authorities say two cases remain in hospital while 81 have recovered from COVID-19.
The remainder of cases are still in self-isolation.
The death toll in the ACT from coronavirus still stands at three.
There have now been more than 6650 negative tests recorded.
READ MORE:
Dr Coleman said the ACT was going well in terms of social distancing measures to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
"We are in a very good position currently in the ACT, but we will also continue to review our surveillance methods including our testing criteria to make sure they continue to give us a good view of potential unknown cases of COVID-19 in our community.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or the federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
Our COVID-19 news articles relating to public health and safety are free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. If you're looking to stay up to date on COVID-19, you can also sign up for our twice-daily digest here.