Canberra reports first coronavirus case in more than three months - The Canberra Times

The ACT has recorded a case of coronavirus for the first time in more than 100 days. A diplomat who returned from overseas and is in quarantine in Canberra has tested positive to the virus. ACT Health says the risk to the broader community is low. The man in his 70s flew into Sydney on October 9 and travelled by private car to the ACT. He did not stop on the way and has been in quarantine since his arrival. ACT chief health officer Kerryn Coleman said health authorities had identified two close contacts. She said the risk to those contacts was low. "I think it's an important reminder that we will get a case, we just don't know where and we don't know when," Dr Coleman said. "We just need to keep being prepared for that. "The numbers are rising in countries overseas, and what that means is people arriving from overseas are much more likely to have been exposed overseas and we will see more cases." Australia has legal requirements to allow diplomats freedom of movement and travel and protection from detention. They are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine upon returning from overseas but are advised to do so at home. Dr Coleman said the large number of diplomats stationed in the ACT didn't pose a greater risk to the city. "I don't believe that it puts Canberrans at any greater risk at all. We have a very, very strong home quarantine model," she said. There are currently 276 people in quarantine in the ACT. This is the second time a diplomat has tested positive for coronavirus upon returning to Canberra from overseas. It is the first time the virus has been detected in the ACT since July. Earlier this month, a woman transitted through Canberra Airport on a flight from Townsville to Melbourne and later tested positive to the virus. It was the first time in months a known case had been in the jurisdiction but no cases linked to that incident have been reported, and ACT Health said there was low risk to the community. There have now been 114 cases of coronavirus in the territory since the pandemic began. Three lives have been lost and 110 people have recovered. To date, more than 103,000 tests have been conducted.

The ACT has recorded a case of coronavirus for the first time in more than 100 days.

A diplomat who returned from overseas and is in quarantine in Canberra has tested positive to the virus.

ACT Health says the risk to the broader community is low.

The man in his 70s flew into Sydney on October 9 and travelled by private car to the ACT.

He did not stop on the way and has been in quarantine since his arrival.

ACT chief health officer Kerryn Coleman said health authorities had identified two close contacts.

She said the risk to those contacts was low.

"I think it's an important reminder that we will get a case, we just don't know where and we don't know when," Dr Coleman said.

"We just need to keep being prepared for that.

"The numbers are rising in countries overseas, and what that means is people arriving from overseas are much more likely to have been exposed overseas and we will see more cases."

Australia has legal requirements to allow diplomats freedom of movement and travel and protection from detention. They are exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine upon returning from overseas but are advised to do so at home.

Dr Coleman said the large number of diplomats stationed in the ACT didn't pose a greater risk to the city.

"I don't believe that it puts Canberrans at any greater risk at all. We have a very, very strong home quarantine model," she said.

There are currently 276 people in quarantine in the ACT.

It is the first time the virus has been detected in the ACT since July.

It was the first time in months a known case had been in the jurisdiction but no cases linked to that incident have been reported, and ACT Health said there was low risk to the community.

There have now been 114 cases of coronavirus in the territory since the pandemic began. Three lives have been lost and 110 people have recovered.

To date, more than 103,000 tests have been conducted.

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2020-10-22 00:30:00Z
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