ACT health authorities have identified three detainees and one corrections officer as contacts of a positive COVID case that was detected upon arriving at Alexander Maconochie Centre.
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Health authorities say police officers and Watch House staff have also been identified as contacts, but neither ACT Health nor ACT Policing specified the number on Sunday.
The Alexander Maconochie Centre will exit a lockdown it imposed in response to the positive case, however other COVID restrictions will remain in place.
Corrective Services Acting Commissioner Ray Johnson said the detainee who tested positive for the coronavirus had passed through the ACT's court cell complex, but had appeared in court via video link.
The person who tested positive was arrested by ACT police on Thursday. It is understood the person was not tested for COVID at the ACT Watch House.
Mr Johnson said Corrective Services took custody of the person from the ACT Watch House, and had kept them as far from other detainees as possible in the court cell complex. The detainee was transported from the cell complex with other detainees, who are now in isolation as a result of that contact.
Mr Johnson said the corrections officer identified as a casual contact of the detainee had been wearing personal protective equipment. Acting Commissioner Johnson said the detainee, who was tested for COVID-19 upon arriving at the Alexander Maconochie Centre, had been isolated since arriving. The positive case had not had contact with anyone who was not wearing protective equipment at the facility.
"So at this point, the facility was locked down yesterday, to give us a chance with [ACT] Health to work through the processes to make sure that we didn't have a further spread, and that we dealt with anyone who'd been in contact," the acting commissioner said.
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On advice from ACT Health, the centre would exit its lockdown but retain pre-existing COVID restrictions, he said.
The court cell complex has been deep cleaned.
Acting Commissioner Johnson said all detainees admitted to the Alexander Maconochie Centre were tested and isolated until at least the first test result was received.
Seventy-four per cent of detainees in the centre have received their first vaccination dose, and 55 per cent have received their second dose. ACT chief health officer Kerryn Coleman said the detainee who tested positive for COVID was comfortable and being isolated on site.
An ACT Policing spokesperson said it asked anyone being transferred to the Watch House questions to determine the most appropriate health and safety response: "This may include if a person is symptomatic, has travelled to a hot spot area in the past 14 days or is a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19."
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