Page 2125 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 2 August 2022
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Since my last update on 1 June 2022, the COVID-19 situation in the ACT has changed. As we continue to respond to high COVID-19 case numbers and move through the winter period, I again urge Canberrans to adhere to the COVID smart behaviours we are all familiar with.
This means being up to date with vaccinations, staying home if you are unwell, getting tested for COVID-19 and wearing a face mask when in high-risk settings or indoors where physical distance cannot be maintained. Mr Assistant Speaker, over the past eight weeks the COVID-19 situation in Australia has shifted.
All states and territories are experiencing high case numbers following the arrival of the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants. While it is difficult to predict the future, we expect that case numbers will remain relatively high over the coming weeks and this will see continued pressure on our healthcare systems and hospitals.
The ACT government continues to work productively with the commonwealth and other jurisdictions to monitor the COVID-19 situation across Australia. National cabinet most recently met on 16 July and will meet fortnightly as all jurisdictions continue to respond to this challenging winter period.
In the ACT, as at 8 pm on 31 July, there have been a total of 191,457 recorded cases since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. There were 4,968 active cases with 165 people with COVID-19 admitted to hospital, two of whom were in intensive care. Sadly, there have been 92 deaths since the start of the pandemic. The ACT government expresses its sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of these people.
As at 9 am on 1 August, the ACT had conducted 1,598 PCR tests in the previous 24 hours. There were also 1,152 individuals living in Canberra who had declared as household contacts. Household contacts continue to be required to quarantine for a period of seven days from the last time a person in their household tested positive for COVID-19, unless they can comply with specific risk mitigation requirements.
The Omicron BA.5 subvariant has become the dominant variant within the ACT, with more than 90 per cent of sequenced samples in the week to 24 July 2022, confirmed as belonging to this sub-lineage. The rapidly growing prevalence of BA.5 has been contributing to an increase in cases in the ACT, in large part due to its immune escape from people who have been vaccinated or previously infected with COVID-19.
Mr Assistant Speaker, despite seeing immune escape associated with the new variants, the ACT’s world leading COVID-19 vaccination program continues to provide Canberrans with excellent protection from severe disease and hospitalisation due to COVID-19.
I am pleased to report that in the ACT, 80.6 per cent of 5- to 11-year-olds have been vaccinated with the first dose of vaccine, and 67 per cent are up-to-date with their vaccination having received a second dose; 97.4 per cent of all Canberrans aged five years and older have now completed their primary vaccination course; and 77.7 per cent of eligible Canberrans (16+) have now received a booster or third dose.
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