ACT lockdown

Canberra will head into a seven-day snap lockdown, after a positive case of Covid-19 was announced today, having been infectious while in the community.

The positive Covid case relates to a Gungahlin man in his 20s who is said to have used his check-in app ‘religiously’, leading to a slew of ‘exposure site’ locations, especially through Canberra’s outlet mall and Manuka.

As of Thursday, the ACT Government was still trying to determine how the man contracted the virus.

The lockdown begins at 5pm Thursday and limits ACT residents to only leaving their homes for essential reasons, such as: essential employment, healthcare, Covid-19 vaccination, shopping for groceries and supplies and up to one hour of outdoor exercise.

“Please, if you have a vaccine appointment, please attend and get vaccinated,” said Canberra’s Chief Minister Andrew Barr.

Mandatory mask wearing has also been reintroduced in the ACT – “in all settings, in all contexts when you leave your home”, except for exercise and appropriate medical exemptions.

“When in doubt, have your mask on,” he said.

Exercising in Canberra is limited to one hour per day. Residents are being asked to remain within their local area/suburb for all exercise, shopping or other essential supplies.

“Many people will need to travel outside of their district to get vaccinated or to work for essential reasons or to access essential healthcare, that is [acceptable],” said Mr Barr.

Canberrans are being asked to avoid any unnecessary shopping or socialising and are asked not to attend any family gatherings or social events. General retail and other non-essential services have been asked to close.

“Now is not the time to be popping over to mum or dad’s or your brother or sister’s for a gathering,” said Mr Barr, “Please stay at home.”

The ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith acknowledged  the difficulty of policing Canberra’s borders and working with residents who live along the ACT-NSW border.

Ms Stephen-Smith said ACT police would be watching for NSW number plates and that NSW residents would need to prove that they were in the territory for an essential purpose and/or live in one of the approved ‘border area’ post codes or have an official exemption.

“For those people, you are part of our community and we need your help now,” said Ms Stephen-Smith.

“We need your help to minimise the number of people who are out and about… but we also know you will need to cross the border.”

The ACT declared all of NSW as a Covid-19 affected area and only those from approved postcodes in that state will be permitted to enter the ACT, and for essential reasons only.

There were exemptions for people from residents in the surrounding areas, such as Queanbeyan and Yass, but not Tumut.

Standing exemptions are in place for residents of the following NSW post codes:

2581, 2582, 2584, 2611, 2618, 2619, 2620, 2621, 2623 and 2626

Mr Barr has described the positive case as the most serious health risk that ACT residents have faced since the early days of the pandemic.

“We have seen in other parts of Australia what happens when people do the wrong thing… we have one opportunity to stamp this out,” he said, signalling a different approach to that of the NSW Government.

“We have said throughout the outbreak in Greater Sydney that we would act quickly and decisively,” he said.

“We have seen that a short and immediate lockdown limits the potential spread of the virus, and is the best path to avoiding longer and more damaging lockdowns.”

This is the ACT’s first lockdown in 12 months and the first positive case which has been in the community in ACT in that time. It’s the second time Canberra has had a lockdown since the pandemic began.

A diplomat in quarantine in Canberra tested positive for the virus last April.

Despite the spreading number of cases, the NSW Government has so far put off any discussion of locking down Regional NSW.

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