The ACT records 51 new local Covid-19 cases as updates on NSW-ACT border plans are announced

The ACT has recorded it’s second highest day of Covid-19 cases as new plans for the NSW-ACT border are announced.

Canberra has recorded 51 new local coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour reporting period, bringing the national capital’s total outbreak to 1313.

This is just one case off the ACT’s daily record of 52 infections.

Of the 51 new transmissions, thirteen were in quarantine during their entire infectious period, while at least 22 spent time infectious in the community.

Thirty-two have been linked to existing outbreaks, but the remaining 19 are still under investigation.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr confirmed there were now 16 Canberrans in hospital with Covid-19, including eight people in the intensive care unit.

Mr Barr said Canberrans' ability to travel into NSW in the coming months would depend on the state’s vaccination rate.

The AFP have been conducting random Covid-19 checks at the ACT/NSW border since Canberra’s lockdown began on August 12. Picture: Newswire/Gary Ramage

“While NSW as a whole might be getting close to 80 per cent double dosed by the end of the weekend or early next week, the regions are still behind Sydney so there are still messages of caution coming from the NSW government about travel to the regions,” he said.

“That (ACT-NSW travel) bubble will continue to expand but this is very much tied to NSW vaccination rates and rates within regional NSW,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that based on the current vaccine trajectory for NSW, “normalisation” of travel between the ACT and NSW would “certainly be in place in time for summer holidays and Christmas”.

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