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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Lanie Tindale

COVID-19 burden on Canberra hospitals continues

'We're in the start of a third wave now' Health Minister Mark Butler announces fourth vaccine dose | July 7, 2022 | ACM

Case numbers and hospitalisations remain high in the ACT, as Canberra Hospital patients continue to be moved to private hospitals and aged care facilities to free up beds.

There were 160 people with COVID-19 in hospital in the 24 hours to Tuesday 8pm.

Of those, four patients are in the ICU and two are on ventilation.

The ACT recorded 961 new COVID-19 cases, with a rolling average of 1101.

As Canberrans are being asked to leave the emergency department "for emergencies", a top health authority has revealed some of the most mundane conditions people have asked for help with.

Canberra hospitals are struggling under the strain of high COVID-19 numbers, with 70 patients to be transferred to private hospitals or aged care facilities.

Workforce shortages are also adding pressure, with the system running with less than up to a quarter of their usual staffing numbers.

Education officials in the ACT are seeking advice from the government's health experts on whether to extend mask-wearing recommendations to students.

Canberra's Catholic schools could also cancel excursions, camps and other extracurricular activities as they try to prepare for an expected wave of COVID cases.

COVID-19 vaccinations

  • Aged 5-11 years (1 dose): 80.6 per cent
  • Aged 5-11 years (2 doses): 69.7 per cent
  • Aged 5+ years (2 doses): 97.4 per cent
  • Aged 16+ years (3 doses): 77.7 per cent

Around Australia

NSW

  • Deaths: 20
  • New cases: 15,352
  • Hospitalisations: 2236
  • ICU: 63

Victoria

  • Deaths: 28
  • New cases: 12,984
  • Hospitalisations: 906
  • ICU: 45
  • Ventilation: 9

Queensland

  • Deaths: 15
  • New cases: 9650
  • Hospitalisations: 1034
  • ICU: 21

Tasmania

  • Deaths: N/A
  • New cases: 1586
  • Hospitalisations: 173
  • ICU: 2

Northern Territory

  • Deaths: 0
  • New cases: 642
  • Hospitalisations: 68
  • ICU: 1

Western Australia

  • WA no longer publishes daily updates

South Australia

  • SA no longer publishes daily updates

Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT is free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates.

Drive-through testing clinic. Picture: Peter Lorimer
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