Thread by @AnnaVidot

ACT COVID update 13 Sept

13 new cases
7 linked
6 under investigation
2 in quarantine throughout
10 infectious in the community

9 in hospital
3 in ICU
1 ventilated

2402 tests conducted
This reflects lower trend on weekends, officials want that up to ~3500 today.

Barr has escalated his 'get tested' message today.

Says, if you live with someone who has symptoms, the whole household should come forward for testing. If you work with someone who has symptoms, you should come forward for testing too.

Still businesses not complying with health directions.

Barr: "We are now moving beyond warnings. Repeat offenders will have to be closed."

"We are beyond the point of issuing warnings"

Vaccination update:

16,615 booked for a 1st dose at ACT hub this week

This week ACT will pass
50% 12yo+ w 2 doses
75% 12yo+ w 1 dose

Barr: "As always, the best vaccine is the one available to you today. If you are over 18 and you are still waiting for a vaccine" with an appointment many weeks away, "you should consider the benefits" of AZ and discuss that with your health professional.

Barr: ACT is v focused on vaccinating 12+ pop

From 20 Sept all 12 kids can book Pfizer at ACT hub but earliest might be Oct/Nov.

Kids can also seek Pfizer via GP, or Moderna via pharmacy in coming week

Barr: "It is worth looking around to see the quickest path for vaccination"

Barr says 650 vulnerable children aged 12-15 with underlying conditions have received their 1st dose

There are ~25k children aged 12-15 in the ACT

CHO Coleman update

13 new
506 total
261 recovered (+7)
245 active

Of 13
7 linked (6 household)
2 in quarantine throughout
10 infectious in community
1 being assessed

9 in hospital (aged 18-70s)
3 in ICU (aged bw 40-60)
1 ventilated
7 unvaxxed
1 one dose
1 vax status unknown

CHO confirms one of today's new cases was on site at @nimmityjah while unknowingly infectious on 9-10 Sept

Winnunga is closed today/tomorrow as a result

Fri is on the exposure site list. Thurs isn't, as they're confident they've ID-ed and are contacting everyone affected.

If you had a Winnunga vaccination appointment today, you should hopefully have been contacted so you can still get your vaccination at the AIS hub.

Malkara Specialist School and Nipperville Early Learning Centre are also on the close contact exposure site list, due to confirmed case on site while unknowingly infectious.

No further info. CHO says they've been in direct contact with those affected.

CHO says 900+ close contacts and 334 active exposure sites.

Despite the Check In CBR updates, she's reminding everyone to keep checking the exposure sites list.

No new public transmission sites

+1 linked to Busy Bees childcare

CHO confirms tomorrow will be the Big Update Day for next steps, outbreak, cluster and mystery case updates etc

Even if you don't watch the pressers (and frankly, I envy you) you might want to tune in at 11.45am tomorrow, which you can do via @abccanberra radio, TV and facebook

On this change in Get Tested messaging:

Barr: "What we often find is the first case who does comes forward for testing infects the rest of the household and if they'd all come together for testing we may have been able to reduce the number of days infectious in the community."

Q With more supply coming, why shouldn't 60+ get a choice?

Barr says the 60+ AZ-hesitant are a small group in Canberra, the data shows 60+ have 95% or greater first dose coverage. That said...:>>

Barr: "We've got a lot of people who don't have the option of AZ" inc under 18s. Encouraging 18+ AZ takeup.

"Right now, the priority is: get vaccinated. If you're sitting out there unvaccinated and you are over 60 years of age, you are very, very susceptible to serious illness."

Q So why not open choice to that small group of 60+s then?

Barr: "Because we've got tens of thousands of people who we need to vaccinate with Pfizer or Moderna. We've got younger people who don't have the choice."

Q Disappointed it looks like the PM is going to keep shuttling back and forth to Sydney?

Barr: "Others have suggested that there is a government funded, very nice place to live in Canberra for the PM, but really I think it's a matter for the PM to explain to the community."

(Barr makes the point that this will really annoy some, others won't care, but "it doesn't absorb a huge amount of my time, to be honest".)

CHO update on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander vaccination in ACT to 8 Sept

57.9% one dose
36.5% fully vaccinated

Winnunga together with ACT Health doing lots of work to increase vaccination for the Indigenous community, CHO says.

Health Minister Stephen-Smith on Indigenous vaccination rates: "Of course we're not satisfied with those." Says the 60yo+ vaccination rate is very high, but "for the younger part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, we really do need to get those rates up."

RSS: "It's not only about achieving 80% fully vaccinated for the community as a whole. It's also about ensuring that those more vulnerable parts of our community - whether that's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, whether that's people with disability, >>

>>RSS: "... obviously we've already got there with older people - but that we actually have got a focus on those more vulnerable parts of our community, and an equity position in relation to assessing our vaccination status."

Q School based vaccination?
RSS: Still working through that, will partly depend on what the take-up is through the other channels (ACT hubs, GPs, pharmacies) noting that 12+ have only just become eligible.

Q (from @EmGrovesy, I think?) Prison officers who live in NSW have been told they need to quarantine if they're exposed to covid at work, those in ACT have been told they can keep coming to work...?

RSS: "I have just been made aware of that issue and we're looking into it."

(Shout out to Emma or whoever asked that question, as it was news to me - as well as to the minister, apparently)

Q Compliance Issues in business, do we need more teams doing the checks?

Barr: "Our compliance teams are sufficient in volume. What we need is more compliance."

/ENDS

On your radio at 3:30.