Approximately 20 Canberra Hospital staff members are in isolation after two workers tested positive to COVID-19 this week.
A Canberra Health Services spokesperson said the staff members would bein quarantine for between five and seven days.
"We are managing staffing rosters to ensure minimal to no impact on services. We would like to acknowledge and thank the whole pathology team for pitching in and assisting in ensuring no disruption to services," they said.
A Canberra Hospital receptionist who tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday was the second case this week, after a team member in the radiation therapy department returned a positive test on Wednesday.
A radiation therapy department team member was likely infectious unknowingly while at work on Tuesday, December 14, and Wednesday, December 15, an email from Canberra Health Services (CHS) sent to staff said.
Genomic sequencing is pending, with the variant yet to be determined.
"Impacted team members and patients have been notified and genomic sequencing is pending to determine the variant," the email said, noting CHS was taking necessary precautions to manage the risk "to reduce the impact on staff and patients".
"The COVID-19 exposure response team and infection prevention and control team are responding to this incident."
CHS confirmed on Friday that a different team member who was working in the Specimen Reception Team in Pathology at Canberra Hospital tested positive on Thursday 16 December.
A CHS spokesperson said the staff member was fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including a booster shot.
So far, the variant is unknown with genomic sequencing under way. A preliminary assessment has indicated the person was exposed to COVID-19 while in Sydney last weekend.
The positive case was potentially infectious while at work at Canberra Hospital on December 14 and December 16.
"Potentially impacted staff are being notified and risk assessments are under way," the spokesperson said.
"The team member has no contact with patients or members of the public in the workplace.
"Additional staff are being rostered to minimise any impact on services."
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She told ABC Canberra a receptionist working in pathology tested positive.
"Likely quite a number of people will be deemed close contacts and will need to isolate," Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith told ABC Canberra on Friday morning.
