The ACT has reported 18 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm Monday, with transmission occurring at two Canberra schools in the past two weeks.
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A cluster of cases connected to the Wanniassa School junior campus has grown to about 50 cases, and transmission of COVID-19 has been confirmed at Erindale College, where the cluster is smaller than five cases.
Chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said the cluster at the Wanniassa school included household contacts and tertiary transmission.
ACT Health said 13 schools had been affected by COVID-19 cases attending in the past two weeks, however at this stage they have only identified transmission occurring at Wanniassa School and Erindale College.
There is one person hospitalised with the virus, who is intensive care and requiring ventilation.
The new cases bring the active total to 150, while the number of cases associated with this outbreak now stands at 1760.
Meantime, there was no new data on the percentage of the eligible population who are now fully vaccinated, leaving the official figure at 95.1 per cent.
There were 1570 negative tests received in the 24 hours to 9am Tuesday.
Epidemiological update
There has been an increase in cases notified this week compared to the week ending October 31, with 86 notified last week, compared with 61 the week prior.
The five-day rolling average of daily cases by diagnosis date has increased to 12.
The median age of cases notified last week was 15 years of age, compared with 27 across the entire outbreak.
The daily number of tests over the past week has seen a steady increase and was around 1,700 per day last week.
Dr Coleman said on Tuesday the weekly epidemiological update would provided on the ACT Health website in the future.
The chief health officer said she was confident the ACT was now entering uncharted waters as the territory moved from an outbreak scenario to managing COVID-19 as an endemic disease.
No modelling had considered community vaccination rates above 95 per cent, which meant the ACT would continue to perform strongly in containing the number of cases and limiting any strain on the health system, Dr Coleman said.
More freedoms from Friday
Canberra is set to move to baseline-level COVID-19 restrictions, which are expected to be in place across the summer period.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the next stage of easing would be brought forward by two weeks.
The new restrictions would be reviewed in late January 2022.
From 11.59pm on Thursday there will be no limits on home visits or informal outdoor gatherings, and density limits will be relaxed to allow one person for every 2 square metres in most indoor environments, including hospitality and retail.
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Around Australia
NSW has recorded 222 new COVID-19 cases and four deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday.
Across the state 93.9 per cent of the population aged over 16 years have been vaccinated with their first dose, while 89.9 per cent are fully vaccinated.
There are 254 COVID-19 patients in hospital with 42 in ICU.
Victoria recorded 1069 new cases, while 10 people in the state died.
There are 579 Victorians hospitalised, 90 in intensive care and 55 requiring ventilation.
Eighty-four per cent of the state's population aged over 16 is fully vaccinated.
Queenslanders won't have to wear face masks at all once 80 per cent of residents have had a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine later this week.
Commonwealth figures show at least 79.6 per cent of Queenslanders 16 years and over have had their first dose and 67.4 per cent are double-dosed.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says masks won't need to be worn or carried in 11 local government areas in the heavily-populated southeast when the single dose figure hits 80 per cent.
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