Wait times for COVID-19 tests are touted to be under more pressure with multiple sites across the bush capital closed due to two consecutive public holidays.
The ACT's testing regime will be placed under additional pressure on Monday and Tuesday, as only three clinics in the whole territory will open to deal with the influx of people needing to be tested for either travel reasons or a prior exposure to the virus.
Canberra's testing strain comes as the national health network is feeling the pinch from a rapid increase in cases which nationally is nearing 10,000 cases per day.
Confirmed new case numbers in the ACT to midday on Boxing Day came in at 71, with one person needing hospitalisation.
The rise comes after more than 100 exposure sites were listed on Christmas Eve, which has ramped up the number of contacts needing to be tested.
Currently close and casual contacts in the ACT require a PCR test instead of a rapid antigen test which can be done at home.
Over the two public holidays, Garran, Mitchell and Kambah will be open for testing, with the Kambah drive-in clinic closing at midday. Mitchell is the only other drive-in centre.
The ACT government flagged testing demand had soared over the weekend and has urged Canberrans to remain patient.
"Demand continued to be strong at our testing sites over the weekend and we're expecting this to continue into the week ahead," an ACT spokesman said.
"On Christmas Day, our teams completed 3415 tests and by noon on Boxing Day, they'd completed 1412."
Testing times in NSW and Victoria have ballooned due to the high number of confirmed cases which have sprouted across the two major cities.
Canberra's capacity was also stretched at major testing sites on Boxing Day, with reports wait times at Mitchell exceeded four hours and authorities were turning people away.
It is understood ACT Health is also days behind in contact tracing due to the surge in new cases popping up across the capital.
Test response times across the eastern states are also being pushed out, with some people claiming test results have taken up to four days before health authorities have notified them on the outcome.
In the 24 hours up to 8pm December 25, NSW recorded 6394 new cases and 458 in hospital. Victoria recorded 1606 new cases, while Queensland's total case load jumped to 714 with currently none admitted to intensive care. South Australia's reported 634 new cases with 12 needing to be hospitalised, and the Northern Territory has recorded 13 new cases.
ACT Health's website has up-to-date information about open test sites and approximate wait times.
