COVID-19 update: another death for Canberra as RAT access expands

Sadly, the death of the man in his 80s takes the total number of lives lost in Canberra since the outbreak of the pandemic to 107.

There were 556 new recorded cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday night, a small increase on the day prior.

In recent days, there have been around 500 new cases a day. A week ago, it was around 600 to 700.

On the latest figures, there were 3215 known active cases on Tuesday, with 138 in hospital. Of those in hospital, three were in intensive care, including two on a ventilator. That compares with four in intensive care, three of whom was being ventilated in the previous report.

Of the 556 new cases, 314 were detected by the PCR test and 242 by the rapid test. Since March, 2020, there have been 196,642 cases detected in the ACT.

Four Canberra public schools currently have sent some cohorts home due to a lack of staff.

Three classes from Black Mountain School and preschool to year 2 at Franklin School will be learning from home for the rest of this week.

Learning communities two and four at Margaret Hendry School and year 7 at Amaroo School will be learning from home until Tuesday.

Health Minister Mark Butler has pulled the plug on the coronavirus contact-tracing initiative introduced by the Morrison government.

The controversial app which The Canberra Times has revealed cost the taxpayer at least $100,000 a month, stopped collecting data on Monday.

The decision comes more than two years after the app was introduced as a way to help reduce mass-spreading events.

Concession card holders can now collect free rapid tests from their local ACT library.

However, people with COVID-19 symptoms should collect a RAT from the Garran Surge Centre or get a PCR test.

Canberrans can collect up to three RATs for each person listed on their concession card.

People attending ACT libraries are encouraged to wear a mask and physically distance as much as possible while inside the facilities.

On Monday, the state of emergency was extended in the ACT, with the government renewing the Public Health Emergency Declaration until September 30.

Health authorities said the decision allowed chief health officer Kerryn Coleman to continue taking all necessary measures to reduce COVIDs threat to public health.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said community transmission still posed a risk, particularly to people at risk of severe outcomes, including older Canberrans and people with underlying health conditions.

She said that the situation should ease when winter was over.

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