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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Kathryn Lewis

No new COVID-19 cases in ACT as testing demand surges

Minister for health Rachel Stephen-Smith. Picture: Dion Georgopoulos

No new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the ACT as more testing clinics open.

There are currently five active cases of coronavirus in Canberra, all linked to the Melbourne outbreak.

It has prompted the ACT government to convert the pop-up coronavirus hospital on Garran Oval into a testing centre as demand surged in the past week.

The West Belconnen Child and Family Centre is also now open as a walk-in testing clinic.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said people should only get tested if they have symptoms.

"We're obviously very please to see Canberrans heeding the messages and coming to get COVID-19 tests if they have the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms," she said.

Testing is also available at EPIC and the Weston Creek walk in centre.

She said it was "absolutely critical" Canberrans take coronavirus safety measures seriously, including physical distancing, hand hygiene and cough etiquette.

Two people who returned from a Melbourne hot spot tested positive on Wednesday, two household contacts later tested positive and a fifth close contact was identified.

The total number of cases in the ACT is 113.

The Chief Health Officer Kerryn Coleman has warned there would likely be more cases detected as a result of the Melbourne outbreak.

Meanwhile, around 400 Canberrans are in mandatory self-isolation after recently returning from Victoria.

ACT Policing ramped up checks on people in quarantine last week.

Police said everybody had been doing the right thing over the weekend but random checks would continue.

The NSW-Victorian border closed on July 8 as community transmission in Melbourne continued to soar.

The ACT followed suit and enforced two weeks of self-isolation on anyone returning from Victoria. Residents and anyone who needs to cross into the ACT must seek an exemption.

More than 800 exemption requests have been made.

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