Page 2745 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 6 October 2021
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ACT Health has also responded to cases linked to a number of disability service providers, including in workers, clients and household contacts. In addition to these high-risk settings, recent clusters in and around the ACT have centred around a childcare outbreak in Queanbeyan and a construction site on London Circuit, which affected a number of other construction sites.
An outbreak in public housing was recognised early as a high-risk scenario and was extensively planned for over the past 18 months. These plans were activated, and tenants were well supported. It is not an easy thing to quarantine in a complex such as Condamine Court or Ainslie Village, and I acknowledge and thank the many tenants who did so to protect one another and the wider community.
I would like to again recognise our partners in the response to public housing outbreaks: the Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation and Advocacy or CAHMA, ACT Shelter, Directions Health Services, Hepatitis ACT, the Health Care Consumers Association, Community Services #1, Community Options, Argyle Housing; CatholicCare, and others that have helped provide wraparound support. Many of these organisations, and others, including the YWCA, continue to work with the multi-agency ACT government team in supporting residents in the new quarantine facility in O’Connor.
As of 5 October, there were 3,630 people in quarantine in the ACT being supported by ACT Health, with 1,593 of these individuals identified close contacts of locally acquired cases and 1,909 individuals from COVID-19 affected areas.
Additionally, the ACT is continuing to manage the return of diplomats and government officials travelling to Canberra for official duties. ACT Health is now operating two dedicated quarantine facilities to support individuals who test positive for COVID-19 and cannot isolate at home, as well as quarantine of a small number of close contacts and secondary contacts.
In addition to the Australian National University Lazaretto facility, the Ragusa quarantine facility opened in late September. This facility has more than 130 cabins, providing a mix of one, two and three bedrooms, which can cater for larger families. Unlike hotel quarantine in some other jurisdictions, our quarantine facilities provide an option for people to go outside their rooms to a balcony or enclosed space to enjoy fresh air. These facilities are provided at no cost to those impacted by the local outbreak who cannot isolate or quarantine safely and effectively in their own home.
Testing remains strong, with around 3,000 tests being conducted each day. We need testing to remain at this level to maintain a sound level of surveillance across the community.
The ACT had recorded a total of 492,351 negative tests conducted as of 9 am on 5 October. Throughout this outbreak, additional testing sites have been established across the ACT to meet the demand for testing. Most recently a pop-up testing site was established at Watson due to demand for testing in that area. A range of other testing sites and options are available across Canberra, with locations and operating times listed on the ACT’s COVID-19 website.
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