Canberra records 13 new local Covid-19 cases

The capital has recorded 13 new Covid-19 cases as a trend emerges in ACT hospitals.

Canberra has recorded 13 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases, bringing the national capital’s total outbreak to 782.

Of the 13 new cases, only one was in isolation for their entire infectious period, while at least seven were contagious out in the community.

Eleven of the transmissions have been linked to existing cases and two remain under investigation.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr confirmed eight Canberrans were now in hospital with Covid-19, including three people in intensive care.

Mr Barr said a sizeable portion of the Covid-19 patients in Canberra hospitals were people from NSW.

“This reflects the fact that Canberra Hospital is the major tertiary hospital in the ACT and southern New South Wales,” he said.

“It could be that up to 50 per cent of the patients in intensive care in Canberra Hospital over the coming weeks and months will in fact be regional New South Wales residents.”

ACT COVID-19 update (28 September 2021):
◾️ New cases today: 13
◾️ Active cases: 243
◾️ Total recovered cases: 538
◾️ Total cases: 782
◾️ Negative test results (past 24 hours): 2,260
◾️ In hospital: 8
◾️ Lives lost (since August 2021): 1 pic.twitter.com/HIVnuJh2ak

— ACT Health (@ACTHealth) September 28, 2021

On Monday, the Chief Minister announced Canberrans would receive a number of new freedoms from this Friday.

These include:

• House visits will be permitted, with a guest limit of two people at a time
• The outside of home time limit for recreation and other activities will be doubled from two hours to four hours
• ACT nature parks and reserves will reopen, and outdoor bootcamps and personal training will return with a maximum of two people (excluding staff)
• Non-essential retail will be allowed to reopen with click and collect service only

Canberra’s lockdown is currently set to end on October 15 when the territory will transition to “medium level” public health restrictions.