More than 30 people linked to the Canberra Hospital special care nursery outbreak, including five babies, have been forced into quarantine after five cases were recorded in the ward this week.
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ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said none of Friday's 40 cases were linked to the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children cluster.
Two babies had tested positive earlier in the week. One fully vaccinated hospital team member and two carers have also contracting the virus.
Both babies have since been moved to a paediatric COVID-19 ward at the hospital.
Five other babies have been placed in quarantine as close contacts and will be allowed to receive carer visits once they test negative on day five, Ms Stephen-Smith said.
A further 27 Canberra Health Services team members are in quarantine and unable to work after being exposed to the cases.
Investigations into the source of infection continue.
Ms Stephen-Smith confirmed a fully vaccinated team member, who tested positive, had cared for the baby who was first diagnosed with COVID-19 on Wednesday.
"This is an incredibly challenging and stressful situation for their parents, and carers will be able to visit these infants after they return a negative test on day five," she said.
The babies had spent four days in quarantine already, with day five occurring on Saturday.
Ms Stephen-Smith said access to the ward was being limited and a team was working on further minimising the risks.
"Our COVID-19 exposure team is continuing to conduct and act on comprehensive risk assessments during this evolving situation," she said on Friday.
"Non-essential movement in and out of the special care nursery, and the neonatal intensive care unit, is being limited."
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A second baby from the ward was confirmed as a positive case on Thursday and the Health Minister flagged additional cases were a possibility.
She said she was confident the infectious diseases team would be able to prevent a large outbreak.
"I also have a lot of confidence in the infectious diseases team within Canberra Health Services and the infection prevention and control measures that are in place," she said on Thursday.
"We have seen from previous exposures, and potential exposures across our hospitals, a very low rate of onward transmission within the hospital setting.
"I hope that that continues to be the case in this cluster as well."
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Sarah Basford Canales
I'm a federal politics and public sector reporter with an interest in national security, integrity and regulation. Contact me with general tips and thoughts at sarah.basfordcanales@canberratimes.com.au or confidential tips to sbasfordcanales@protonmail.com.
I'm a federal politics and public sector reporter with an interest in national security, integrity and regulation. Contact me with general tips and thoughts at sarah.basfordcanales@canberratimes.com.au or confidential tips to sbasfordcanales@protonmail.com.
