coronavirus, covid-19, covid-19 canberra, canberra covid-19 quarantine
Two people are in isolation after being identified as close contacts of the two COVID-19 cases in hotel quarantine. ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said authorities identified the two local contacts who came into contact with the positive cases during their arrival to Canberra. The two people who tested positive to the virus, one man in his 40s and a teenager, were reported on Thursday and had been moved to an isolated “medi-wing” of the Pacific Suites hotel. The teenager was quarantining with two family members who were also close contacts. Ms Stephen-Smith said all other passengers on the repatriation flight which arrived from Singapore on Monday would be re-tested for COVID-19 on Saturday. READ MORE: “It’s possible other people may have been exposed to the virus either in transit or by these two individuals at some point,” she said. “So we want to have an early understanding of whether we have additional positive cases.” Ms Stephen-Smith said she didn’t know whether the close contacts had received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but said stringent infection control measures would be in place regardless. “The vaccine takes some time to take effect … so even if those people had been vaccinated last week, the likelihood of that vaccination having full effect this week would be pretty low,” she said. Both close contacts had returned negative tests. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
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Two people are in isolation after being identified as close contacts of the two COVID-19 cases in hotel quarantine.
ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said authorities identified the two local contacts who came into contact with the positive cases during their arrival to Canberra.
The teenager was quarantining with two family members who were also close contacts.
Ms Stephen-Smith said all other passengers on the repatriation flight which arrived from Singapore on Monday would be re-tested for COVID-19 on Saturday.
“It’s possible other people may have been exposed to the virus either in transit or by these two individuals at some point,” she said.
“So we want to have an early understanding of whether we have additional positive cases.”
Ms Stephen-Smith said she didn’t know whether the close contacts had received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but said stringent infection control measures would be in place regardless.
“The vaccine takes some time to take effect … so even if those people had been vaccinated last week, the likelihood of that vaccination having full effect this week would be pretty low,” she said.
Both close contacts had returned negative tests.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
