The ACT has recorded nine new COVID-19 cases, as ACT Health confirm an illegal house party attended by school students in Canberra's south can be linked to 33 of the territory's COVID-19 cases.
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said this morning that 33 COVID-19 cases could be linked to a Halloween party held at a private residence in Wanniassa on October 30.
"ACT Health advised yesterday that 33 cases have now been linked to an event and that is a matter for ACT Policing in terms of the investigation around that event," she told ABC Radio Canberra.
"I understand from ACT Policing that one person has received an infringement notice in relation to that event, and that police investigations around that are still ongoing."
At the time, the territory's COVID-19 restrictions dictated household gathering limits of 10 people or less.
The total number of cases for the Delta outbreak in the ACT stands at 1,778.
For the second day in a row, there are no active cases of COVID-19 in hospital in Canberra.
House party attended by 'large number of teenagers'
ACT Policing confirmed they became aware of the party after being called to a report of an assault at a residence in Wanniassa about 11:40pm on Saturday, October 30.
Upon arrival, police said they observed "a large number of teenagers" at the residence, before closing the event and sending the partygoers home.
One person was taken into protective custody due to intoxication.
"Police investigations have continued into the incident, with a view to identifying those present, and other possible offences."
Last week, both the junior and senior campuses at the Wanniassa School were listed as COVID-19 exposure sites, with exposures also occurring at Erindale College, Canberra Girls Grammar and St Clare's College — all schools in Canberra's south.
It is unknown which schools are linked to the Halloween party cluster.
Earlier this week, the ACT's Chief Health Officer, Kerryn Coleman, said many students were catching COVID-19 outside of school settings.
"With many young people that have contracted the virus, [they are] doing so at gathering outside of school and then attending school while infectious," she said.
Dr Coleman said that cases were likely to continue to be seen in school-aged students until vaccinations could be rolled out through that age group.
Overnight, Mawson Primary School and Alfred Deakin High School were added to the list of schools exposed to COVID-19 cases.
There are now 16 schools across the ACT listed as exposure sites.
95.8 per cent of eligible Canberrans are fully vaccinated.
