The ACT has recorded nine new COVID-19 cases, as the government announces Canberra's lockdown will not end before September 2.
The total number of cases in the territory's outbreak is 176.
Three of the nine new cases were in quarantine for their entire infectious period.
Four were infectious in the community, with two still under investigation.
Seven people with the virus are in hospital, including one person in intensive care in a critical condition.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the new cases in the community meant that the city's lockdown would not be ending earlier than September 2.
He said that Canberrans would be informed of how next week would look before the weekend.
'I would not be planning a trip to Sydney in the next few months'
But Mr Barr again noted that when lockdown was lifted, there would still be public health restrictions in place.
He said restrictions would depend on the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded in the ACT over the coming days.
"A good indicator is no one infectious in the community for any period of time … no more mystery cases and an understanding that the step from lockdown to the next phase, is going to be a gradual one," he said.
But, he warned any travel between the ACT and Sydney was still several months away.
"Put it this way, I would not be planning a trip to Sydney in the next few months."
Mr Barr again thanked Canberrans for getting vaccinated, saying that Tuesday was a significant day of vaccines across the ACT.
On Tuesday, 2,700 doses of vaccines were administered in government clinics, and 2,000 through GPs and pharmacists.
Mr Barr added that there were now more than 17,000 Canberrans aged between 16-29 registered for a Pfizer vaccine.
"Between now and the end of November, the challenge for Canberra is how many more of us can we protect through vaccination, between now and then?" he said.
"The race is on Canberra. Please get vaccinated as soon as you can."
Cluster in disability sector grows
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith confirmed that one of Wednesday's new cases had been linked to the disability sector cluster.
Ms Stephen-Smith said a person with a disability has tested positive.
"I want to reassure people in the community who are living with disability that ACT Health and the service providers affected by these cases have been in touch with anyone who has been affected, who are considered close or casual contacts. This includes any of the workers who have been impacted," she said.
"I also want to thank leaders across the disability community, particularly people with a disability, who have been providing advice and advocacy for their community and I want to commend them and thank them for that."
Overnight, the number of cases associated with Bright Bees Early Learning Centre in Nicholls jumped from two to 10.
And the previously identified exposure site at CIT's Reid campus was updated to a transmission site, with new two cases associated with that cluster.
ACT Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Vanessa Johnston said there were still more than 10,800 close contacts in quarantine across the ACT.
She added that of the nine new cases, eight were linked to other known cases or exposure sites. Two of the eight linked cases were household contacts of positive infections.
"Out of the nine, three were in quarantine for their full infectious period, therefore posing no risk to the community," she said.
But Dr Johnston warned that Canberra was not out of the woods yet.
"A day of single-digit numbers is not a trend, and I wouldn't be surprised if we have double digits again tomorrow," she said.
Almost 6,700 tests were conducted across the ACT on Tuesday.
Barr pooh-poohs Barilaro's claims about South Coast sewage
When asked about NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro's claim that Canberrans were behind COVID-19 fragments found in sewage at Merimbula, Mr Barr said it was just as likely that the virus came from regional New South Wales.
"I don't know where he is getting that from. If he has scientific evidence that can back it up that it is Canberra poo, then OK, alright. But I mean seriously, I'm just not interested in having 'whose poo it was' arguments with John Barilaro at the moment to be honest.
"I don't think the sewage detection is quite that sophisticated to be able to tell whether it's a Canberran's poo, or someone else's."
