One week down, two more to go.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Canberrans have quickly taken the advice of health experts and followed lockdown rules to stay at home and minimise movement.
ACT chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman is "cautiously confident" the territory is getting ahead of the virus and the effect of restrictions will soon be known.
As Canberrans enter week two, here's where we stand.
What's the case breakdown?
There are now 94 active cases of COVID-19 in Canberra - 12 of those were reported on Friday.
Seven cases are under investigation and the remaining infections are linked to known cases.
One person is in the hospital but they are not in intensive care.
A further three cases are linked to Canberra's outbreak but live across the border in NSW.
There are seven transmission sites:
- Lyneham High School: 25 cases
- Fiction nightclub: 13 cases
- Lennock Jaguar dealership: eight cases
- Gold Creek School: five cases
- Belconnen Basketball Stadium: three cases
- Downer Community Centre: three cases
- Assembly bar: three cases
How many close and casual contacts are there?
As of Friday, 20,372 people are in quarantine in the ACT, and 18,200 of those are close contacts of a COVID-19 case.
A further 5000 people are identified as casual contacts.
Where can I get tested?
Several new sites have opened for COVID-19 testing this week which has significantly eased pressure on other sites and brought wait times down.
Testing sites include:
- Gold Creek School from 8am to 4pm
- Erindale Active Leisure Centre from 8am to 4pm
- EPIC from 8am till late
- Brindabella Business Park from 8am till late
- Jenke Circuit, Kambah from 8am to 4pm
- Weston Creek Walk-In Centre from 7.30am to 10pm
- Winnunga Nimmityjah from 9.30am to 4.30pm (call ahead)
All these sites, except Winnunga, are currently operating seven days a week.
Children can be tested at Weston Creek, Gold Creek and Erindale.
What if I need support to get tested?
People with disabilities have struggled in recent days to receive at-home tests and get the help they need while the system has been under immense pressure.
ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said work was under way to increase accessible testing at Gold Creek and Erindale sites.
"If people turn up and they need some additional support at Gold Creek or at Erindale please talk to the security team there," she said.
For people who require a test at home, Ms Stephen-Smith said to call the COVID-19 helpline on 6207 7244.
If you are a close contact and have received a direct number to the contact tracing team, you can request help there.
"We have heard your frustration," Ms Stephen-Smith said, adding capacity would be expanded.
What is the ACT vaccination rate?
The ACT is leading the national vaccination race.
To date, 57.54 per cent of the eligible population have had one dose and 34.13 have had two doses.
First dose coverage for every cohort aged 70 and older is well above 90 per cent and has hit 100 per cent for people age 75 to 79.
Young people have also been coming out in large numbers to get vaccinated with AstraZeneca. Pfizer eligibility will open to people under 30 at the end of August.
READ MORE COVID-19 NEWS:
Is the lockdown working?
Dr Coleman is "cautiously confident" the territory is getting ahead of the virus.
The lockdown was imposed one week ago and from here on, Dr Coleman said it was more likely close contacts of cases would be in quarantine while infectious.
"Once we identify cases that have been infectious since the lockdown [started], the number of sites, as well as the number of contacts should start to decrease and we should start to be seeing that, if not now, very soon," she said.
She said the current caseload is what would have been reported even without a lockdown imposed.
"Now is the time at which we start seeing the impact of the lockdown," Dr Coleman said.
She noted, however, the Delta variant could be difficult.
"We are working very hard on trying to make sure the entire community comes along with us," Dr Coleman said.
READ MORE COVID-19 NEWS:
- 'Live up to the plan': PM pressures states, territories to follow Covid roadmap
- Canberra businesses frustrated by obstacles to Covid support
- How did you while away time waiting for your Covid test?
- What to do if you're a close, casual or secondary contact and how they differ
- Here's the real Ken Behrens, and he's as bemused as you'd expect
- OPINION: People under 30, it's our time to shine
- Think outside the supermarket for your groceries
- Will the pandemic be over when enough people are vaccinated?
- How you can help friends and neighbours stuck in isolation
Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT and the lockdown is 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. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram