The ACT has reported 810 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm Tuesday, a decrease from 926 cases announced the day before.
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The new cases bring the active total to 3069.
There are 16 people in hospital because of COVID, with one person in intensive care, and one on ventilation.
Of those patients, 14 currently have active disease with two cleared of active COVID. Thirteen are fully vaccinated, one is unvaccinated and two are not eligible for vaccination.
The ACT's daily case tally jumped 80 per cent on Tuesday, up from 514 cases on Monday. There were 13 people in hospital at 8pm on Monday night with COVID-19, including one person in intensive care who required ventilation support.
ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith on Monday said Canberra hospitals could be treating "a few dozen" COVID-19 patients by the end of the week, as the health system readied itself for the highest caseload since the pandemic began.
Modelling predicted up to 60 patients in hospital with COVID from January 10, Ms Stephen-Smith said on Wednesday. A sweep of changes to hospitals has been made to address the possible demand.
ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said the ACT would start to exceed over 1000 cases a day. There have also been exposures to the virus in about 40 high-risk settings, such as aged care homes.
"I'm just waiting for that day and it will come soon," she said.
Dr Coleman said the last week of cases made up more nearly half of the total cases in ACT since 2020.
"The last week's number of cases represents more than 44 per cent of the total cases in the ACT since the start of the pandemic," she said.
"The seven-day rolling average of cases is now well over 250. We are seeing these case numbers increasing across all age groups, but in particular, they continue to occur in our 18- to 44-year-old age groups."
There were 2683 negative tests received in the 24 hours to 9am Wednesday.
The percentage of the eligible population who are now fully vaccinated remains at 98.5 per cent.
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Around Australia
NSW has recorded 35,054 COVID-19 cases and eight deaths, breaking another daily record.
The new cases were diagnosed from 108,844 tests undertaken in the 24-hours to 8pm on Tuesday.
There are 1491 patients in hospital, 119 of them in ICU.
Victoria has recorded another 11 deaths from COVID-19 and 17,636 new cases.
There are 51,317 active coronavirus cases in the state and 591 patients in hospital, 20 are on a ventilator.
Meanwhile, rapid tests for COVID-19 would be subsidised for people on low incomes under a plan being taken to a national cabinet meeting by the prime minister on Wednesday.
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