The ACT has recorded one new case of COVID-19 — a close contact of a known case — taking the total number of active cases in Canberra to seven.
This morning a pop-up centre was set up at Gold Creek School in Canberra's north to ensure close contacts of the sixth case — a 14-year-old student — could be tested, as it is currently unlinked to other cases in the capital.
The ACT is in its second full day of a seven-day lockdown, after it was announced on Thursday that the initial case —a 27-year-old man — had tested positive for the virus.
Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman confirmed that that case, which is the Delta variant, was linked to the outbreak in Greater Sydney.
"The whole genomic sequencing does confirm a link with several cases in Greater Sydney," Dr Coleman said.
More than 4,500 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the ACT yesterday, and Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said capacity has been boosted across the weekend to enable more Canberrans to get tested.
"While this unprecedented demand for testing is challenging, it also gives us a reason to be proud of our community," she said.
"Canberrans are proving once again how committed we are to responding and doing the right thing during a pandemic."
Testing facilities in the ACT now include a second site at the EPIC drive-through centre, the Brindabella Park pop-up testing centre, the Weston Creek drive-through centre, and a pop-up centre for those affected at the Gold Creek school.
Another drive-through facility will be opening on Tuesday in Kambah.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he was pleased with the strong response from the Canberra community.
Mr Barr said there were more than 4,500 close contacts across the territory, and the list of exposure sites increased to 40 overnight.
He said the goal remained to reach zero locally acquired cases before the government considered lifting lockdown restrictions.
