The ACT has recorded 189 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night as the Omicron variant continues to spread in Canberra.

It comes after 142 cases recorded in the ACT on Christmas Day and 71 infections on Boxing Day.

There are now 688 active COVID-19 cases in Canberra, a new all-time high. There have been 2,818 cases recorded in the ACT since the lockdown began in August 2021.

In good news, there is only one person in hospital with the virus in Canberra; they are neither in intensive care or ventilated.

Demand for COVID testing in Canberra remains high with the Kambah, Mitchell and Garran facilities all at capacity as of 9.30am.

Acting chief minister Yvette Berry said the ACT government expected fluctuations in case numbers over the holiday period due to more movement around the city and the demand for PCR tests before some interstate travel.

“We are expecting an increase in case numbers but our focus remains on those high risk settings,” Ms Berry said.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said she was nervous about what the increased case numbers could mean for the hospital system with there being a lag on serious infections.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about what we might see in our hospital system,” she said.

“(But) we will be ready to act if we think we need to, to ensure our health system is appropriately supported.”

The territory has moved to prioritise testing those who are close contacts, people who have symptoms of COVID-19, or returned international travellers, amid extremely high testing demand.

Its Garran and Mitchell clinics will only test those priority groups between 11:00am and 3:00pm on Monday after people taking tests to travel interstate caused long wait times at testing centres.

Fully vaccinated close contacts who need to take a test to exit quarantine will be able to leave on day seven if they receive a negative test result on or after day five, providing they don’t have any symptoms. 

Those who find out about their exposure on day four are able to delay their initial test until the fifth day or later.

Ms Stephen-Smith said the territory didn’t have enough staff to stand up another testing clinic to ease demand. 

She also said rapid antigen tests were accurate enough to be used for states screening new interstate arrivals but not for identifying people exposed to the virus.

“Rapid antigen tests aren’t particularly useful when we are targeting … (people) who have been exposed to the virus or who are symptomatic,” she said, noting positive tests would still need PCR confirmation.

“Where they are useful, particularly where they are taken over a number of days, is for that screening purpose.”

Ms Stephen-Smith thanked South Australia for moving to allow new arrivals to return a negative rapid antigen test as opposed to a PCR test before entering the state.

Eased pressure on distribution companies after the Christmas period should also increase the availability of rapid tests within the next week or so, she said.

Meanwhile, NSW recorded 6,324 cases today and three deaths including the first Omicron death, a fully vaccinated man in his 80s who acquired the virus in aged care facility in North Parramatta.

The Southern NSW Local Health District saw a rise in cases with 35 new COVID infections, including 11 in Queanbeyan.

With AAP

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