16 August 2021

There have been 19 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the ACT in the past 24 hours.

There are now 28 active cases associated with this outbreak.

As of 9am this morning ACT Health continues to work with up to 6,526 people who have self-identified as close contacts.

There are currently no COVID-19 patients in Canberra hospitals.

There were 3,598 COVID-19 tests collected from ACT testing sites and over 2,125 through our private testing providers, bringing our total to over 5,700 in the last 24 hours. ACT Pathology returned 3,292 negative testresults in the 24 hours to 9am today.

There were 2,015 vaccinations administered in ACT Government clinics in the 24 hours, bringing the total vaccine doses administered to 171,560.

Additional close and casual contact exposure locations have been identified. We ask Canberrans to please continue to check the exposure locations regularly as the list of locations is updated as our investigations continue.

Residential aged care worker

One of the confirmed new cases is a staff member of the Greenway Views Village.

This is the first time that the ACT has recorded a case in a retirement village or residential aged care facility.

ACT Health is working closely with the residents and staff to manage the outbreak.

Early investigations indicate that the staff member unknowingly worked three shifts at the Village when they were potentially infectious between Tuesday 10 August and Thursday 12 August 2021.

The Village is communicating directly with staff, residents, their families and guardians to keep them well informed and provide support.

All residents and staff at the Village will be tested as a priority by the ACT Health COVID-19 response team.

Lyneham High School Exposure Site

ACT Health confirmed yesterday evening that a student at Lyneham High School tested positive to COVID-19. The student is a close contact of a previously announced case.

The student is considered to unknowingly have been potentially infectious at school from Monday 9 August to Thursday 12 August 2021.

Any staff, students and visitors/volunteers who attended the school on any of these days between 8.30am and 3.30pm are being classified as close contacts and are required to quarantine. Their household members will also be required to quarantine as secondary contacts.

ACT Health and ACT Education have been communicating directly with those involved in regards to testing arrangements and next steps.

Testing capacity in the ACT

To provide streamlined testing for close and secondary contacts of both the Lyneham High School and Instrumental Music Program (IMP) Rehearsal Room exposure sites, testing arrangements have been organised at Brindabella Park and Gold Creek.

We would like to encourage the school community to use these services.

We thank the community for their patience at this time as we continue to expand testing services. Testing staff are working extremely hard to test as many people as quickly as possible and we continue to have record numbers of testing in the ACT.

We ask Canberrans to please continue to check the ACT COVID-19 website regularly as the list of locations is updated as our investigations continue.

Stay COVID safe

The confirmation of these new cases reminds us that we can’t become complacent. The Delta strain of COVID-19 is dangerous and very easily transmitted.

Remember that during lockdown you should only be interacting with other people in your household. You should not have any family gatherings and do not have parties with friends.

If undertaking essential activity out in the community – wear a mask, maintain good hand hygiene, keep your distance and use the Check In CBR app.

Thank you to all Canberrans who are following lockdown rules to keep the community safe. It is critical we take every precaution during this time to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the ACT.