ACT records 15 COVID-19 cases as it nears 50 per cent fully vaccinated milestone

The ACT has recorded 15 new coronavirus infections, with the territory on the cusp of 50 per cent full vaccination coverage for over-16s.

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith.

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith. Source: AAP

The ACT is on the precipice of having half of its population aged 16 and older fully vaccinated, as Canberra records another 15 coronavirus infections.

All but two of Thursday's locally acquired cases are linked and at least eight had been in the community for some of the time while infectious.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr says the ACT will reach 50 per cent full vaccination coverage for residents aged 16 and over in the next 24 hours.

"In the simplest possible terms, the next eight weeks is a race to get as many people fully vaccinated as quickly as possible," he told reporters.
"As our vaccination rates increase, it is the government's intention to make gradual steps forward to manage our current outbreak so that we will be able to ease public health restrictions."

The next steps will be outlined on Tuesday.

Canberra's lockdown is currently scheduled to run until Friday, September 17.

There are 227 cases active in the ACT and nine patients in hospital, two in intensive care including one person on a ventilator.


Share
1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP, SBS


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world