As Canberra faces rising COVID-19 case numbers, the ACT records its fifth record day of hospitalisations.
ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith has warned the ACT is experiencing another wave of infections.
There were 121 people with COVID-19 in hospital in the 24 hours to Tuesday 8pm.
Of those, no patients are in the ICU and none are on ventilation.
The ACT recorded 1159 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours until 8pm Tuesday.
MORE COVID-19 NEWS:
Tuesday's new cases by age group
- 0-4 years: 58
- 5-11 years: 80
- 12-17 years: 76
- 18-24 years: 110
- 25-39 years: 309
- 40-49 years: 181
- 50-64 years: 231
- 65+ years: 114
- Total: 1159
The ACT's COVID-19 death toll is 78.
An outbreak in a cancer ward at Canberra Hospital has contributed to the dramatic rise in COVID hospitalisations.
The BA.5 Omicron subvariant is expected to drive an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations over the coming weeks, as Ms Stephen-Smith said modelling had indicated the ACT was experiencing another wave of infections.
COVID-19 vaccinations
- Aged 5-11 years (1 dose): 80.6 per cent
- Aged 5-11 years (2 doses): 68.8 per cent
- Aged 5+ years (2 doses): 97.3 per cent
- Aged 16+ years (3 doses): 77.2 per cent
Around Australia
COVID-19 cases are again on the rise across Australia, with the latest Omicron sub-variant BA.4/BA.5 on track to become the major strain.
More than 200,000 cases and almost 330 virus-related deaths have been recorded across the country over the past week.
Authorities say BA.4/BA.5 represented more than 30 per cent of specimens in NSW in the week ending June 18, up from 23 per cent the previous week.
A similar patter has emerged in Queensland, while traces of BA.4/BA.5 in Victoria's metro and regional wastewater have "risen significantly, indicating increasing transmission", according to Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
First identified in catchments in April, the variant now accounts for 17 per cent of Victorian infections and is forecast to overtake BA.2 as the state's dominant strain within weeks.
NSW
- Deaths: 40
- New cases: 8623
- Hospitalisations: 1540
- ICU: 49
- Ventilation: Unknown
Victoria
- Deaths: 11
- New cases: 732
- Hospitalisations: 468
- ICU: 35
- Ventilation: 9
Queensland
- Deaths: 19
- New cases: 5268
- Hospitalisations: 593
- ICU: 14
- Ventilation: Unknown
South Australia
- TBA
Tasmania
- Deaths: 0
- New cases: 1228
- Hospitalisations: 45
- ICU: 4
- Ventilation: Unknown
Northern Territory
- TBA
Western Australia
- WA no longer publishes daily COVID-19 updates
-With AAP
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Lucy Bladen
Lucy Bladen has been a journalist at The Canberra Times since 2019. She is an ACT politics and health reporter. Email: l.bladen@canberratimes.com.au
Lucy Bladen has been a journalist at The Canberra Times since 2019. She is an ACT politics and health reporter. Email: l.bladen@canberratimes.com.au
Lanie Tindale
I am a reporter at The Canberra Times, and was previously a trainee. I have covered various topics at the masthead, including courts, federal politics, breaking news, features and opinion. I previously worked in digital news. I am now a general news reporter, with a focus on health. lanie.tindale@canberratimes.com.au.
I am a reporter at The Canberra Times, and was previously a trainee. I have covered various topics at the masthead, including courts, federal politics, breaking news, features and opinion. I previously worked in digital news. I am now a general news reporter, with a focus on health. lanie.tindale@canberratimes.com.au.
