The Phillip ice skating rink would be used as a temporary morgue under a worst-case scenario should Canberra receive a high number of deaths from the coronavirus.
ACT Health Minister Rachel-Stephen Smith said on Sunday the government was planning for a range of outcomes should the virus worsen, among them having to use Canberra's only ice rink as a makeshift morgue.
"We don't want to see that happen, but we are planning for the worst, and we need to do that in case it comes to that," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
The ice rink's operator John Raut said government officials had asked in recent days how long the rink would take to reform ice after it had been defrosted, which takes three days.
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The rink is currently being defrosted as part of floor refurbishments while the rink is closed to the public due to coronavirus restrictions.
Mr Raut said the ice rink had always been factored into the territory's disaster plan under an absolute worst-case scenario.
"It had been standing for 30 to 40 years, ever since the ice rink had been opened," he said.
Ice rinks have been used as temporary morgues in countries such as Italy, where the death toll from coronavirus has reached more than 10,000.
The Health Minister urged Canberrans to practice social distancing.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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