The ACT has recorded another 16 new cases of COVID-19.
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Thirteen of those have been linked to known cases or exposure sites, but three of the 16 were infections in the community. There are 137 active cases in Canberra.
There are four people in hospital. Two of those are in hospital for non-Covid reasons. The other two are being treated, but do not require breathing support.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the goal was to get to zero cases, conceding waves may come back into the community. The 16 new cases announced was an improvement on the 19 on Sunday, while NSW recorded 818 and Victoria recorded 71.
"We'll be at risk continuously. The short-term task is to manage this outbreak, the medium-term task to protect the community while we get vaccinated," Mr Barr said.
"We're going to have a gentle emergence from lockdown. We won't just snap back. We need to have the settings in place that if the virus comes back in, we're not going to have an explosion of cases. The settings need to reflect that reality."
Exposure locations have spread to more than 360, chief health officer Kerryn Coleman saying the list covered most of Canberra.
The exposure list will be updated later today, with the ANU set to be added after a student tested positive on the weekend. Condamine Court, a public housing facility, will also be added.
The disability sector cluster has grown to 15 after another person tested positive on Sunday.
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said it was a "judgement call" not to inform the public of the disability-sector cluster. The government did not reveal details of the outbreak until questioned by The Canberra Times on Saturday night.
Mr Barr also announced plans to fast-track Canberra's vaccination program, inviting 64,000 people in the 16-29 age category to register for their Pfizer vaccination at an ACT hub, likely to be at the AIS Arena.
"This is a race, and we do need more people to come forward," Mr Barr said.
Almost 4000 people were tested in Canberra on Sunday, but Mr Barr said the government expected numbers to increase in the coming days.
"We do need testing numbers to remain high at this time. We are aware of active community transmission," Dr Coleman said.
The government is also still working with businesses to discuss reopening plans in a Covid-safe way. Mr Barr said those discussions would progress this week, with a view to having a more details by Thursday.
One construction site reopened on Monday, but workers were required to show proof of vaccination or proof they have booked their first dose of either Pfizer or AstraZeneca.
Mr Barr said the ACT government could consider similar measures for reopening sites around the capital.
"We need to look at the best Covid-safe practices that are being applied in our jurisdiction," Mr Barr said.
Asked if the government would make it mandatory for some workers to be vaccinated, Mr Barr said: "We will look at the situation as we get further into the vaccine rollout. You can't make something mandatory if everyone hasn't had the opportunity to get vaccinated yet.
"Can I say this: please get vaccinated. Think of yourself and your family and your friends. Please get vaccinated."
Mr Barr reiterated his stance on the 70 per cent vaccination rate being used as a measuring stick for reopening Australia, saying Australia must wait three weeks after reaching the point to ensure vaccine effectiveness.
He also said he was keen to vaccinated as many children as possible to protect them from the Delta variant.
The outbreak has hit the ACT's disability sector, with advocates calling for better transparency and communication from the government as the health minister warned more providers could be affected.
"We're not withholding information, but we want to make sure it's accurate," Mr Barr said.
Asked about disability sector vaccination rates, Mr Barr said: "We have some data ... where it's the Commonwealth running the program, we rely on information from the Commonwealth."
A public housing site has also been implicated after a person who has since tested positive for COVID-19 visited.
READ MORE:
More than 30 new venues have been added to the list of Canberra's Covid exposure sites overnight, including a Canberra childcare centre.
Among the 37 new sites is the Bright Bees Childcare in Nicholls, which has been listed as an exposure site for a four-day period after the lockdown started.
More to come.
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