Five residences at the Australian National University have been released from quarantine after negative COVID-19 tests ruled them out of being close contacts of a Covid case.
A dozen students have been deemed close contacts of a COVID-19 case, leaving four residences still in quarantine. All residents have been deemed secondary contacts and confined to their rooms until test results come through.
Fenner Hall joined Burton and Garran Hall, Wright Hall and Wamburun Hall in lockdown on Friday as one resident was confirmed to be a close contact of a COVID-19 case.
An ANU spokesman said all close contacts were quarantining in self-contained apartments for 14 days.
They are among 3000 close contacts already identified from exposure sites.
The spokesman said food had been delivered on Thursday night and Friday morning.
Lunch was also delivered to the halls on Friday.
Close contacts have been moved to self-contained apartments on campus.
For the other students in isolation, some do not have access to a bathroom within their room and must use a shared one.
There are no laundry facilities. The university said should the lockdown need to remain in place for longer, it would look at how that could be handled.
Students have been told they cannot leave their room for exercise or work until those test results are returned.
Meanwhile, at the University of Canberra a small number of people have been identified as close contacts.
"At this stage, a small number of the University of Canberra community have been identified as close contacts and we are assisting them to comply with ACT Health directions including testing and isolating," a University of Canberra spokesperson said.
"Students living on campus have been complying with health directions and the University is ensuring our students are supported during lockdown and any required isolation."
The ANU spokesman applauded the students deemed close contacts who were "proactive and responsible" in coming forward to health authorities as soon as the exposure sites were released.
He said a webinar was held for affected students on Thursday night and each residence hall had issued communication to students.
"Everyone else in these residences is considered a secondary contact," the spokesman said.
"As an additional precaution, we have instructed all residents in these residences to self-isolate until they are told otherwise.
"We are undertaking these measures to assist ACT Health with their contact tracing and to keep everyone safe.
"As always, our community's safety and wellbeing is our highest priority."
The ANU four halls currently affected are:
- Burton and Garran Hall
- Wright Hall
- Wamburun Hall
- Fenner Hall
