The number of people with COVID-19 in intensive care has reached a five-day peak as new infections remain under 1000 for the third day.
There were 45 people in Canberra hospitals with COVID in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday, including four people in intensive care and two under ventilation. Previously, the ACT recorded five patients in the ICU on March 30.
The ACT reported 739 new infections to 8pm on Sunday. This takes the territory's pandemic case tally to 80,964. A total of 808 new cases were reported the day before as the number of patients requiring ventilation dropped to zero.
The ACT now has 5716 active cases of coronavirus, down from the 5852 reported on Sunday. Of the new cases, 361 were reported through PCR tests and 378 via rapid tests.
Three people died with COVID-19 in the territory last week, bringing the death toll since the pandemic began to 42.
New data released by ACT Health shows the number of new daily infections per age group:
- 0 - 4: 45 (6 per cent)
- 5 - 11: 44 (6 per cent)
- 12 - 17: 82 (11 per cent)
- 18 - 24: 64 (9 per cent)
- 25 - 39: 215 (29 per cent)
- 40 - 49: 124 (17 per cent)
- 50- 64: 101 (14 per cent)
- 65+: 64 (9 per cent)
Fourth COVID-19 vaccination now available
The first dose vaccination rate for children aged five to 11 has hit 80.2 per cent.
Meanwhile, fully vaccinated people aged over five make up 98.4 per cent of the ACT population with 73.4 triple vaxxed.
This comes as second boosters become available for vulnerable people across the capital. Eligible groups include: those 65 and older, Indigenous Australians aged at least 50, disability-care residents and the immunocompromised.
Geographical breakdown
Meanwhile, the government has released for the first time a geographical breakdown of COVID infections showing Belconnen has had the most cases since mid-December.
ACT Health released the expanded data in an update for the week ending March 27, after revelations by The Canberra Times that officials had blocked the release of important information and misled the public about the reasons why.
Since December 15, 12,461 of recorded cases have resided in Belconnen, 10,613 in Tuggeranong, 12,149 in Gungahlin, 7228 in North Canberra, 4449 in Woden Valley, 4341 in Weston Creek, 3167 in South Canberra, and 297 in Canberra East.
The BA.2 Omicron subvariant accounted for 87.5 per cent of tested samples in the week ending Sunday, the update also revealed, with this most transmissible variant thought to be driving an uptick in infections.
Around Australia
NSW has recorded 15,572 new COVID-19 cases and six deaths in the 24 hours to 4pm.
On Sunday, the state reported 16,807 new infections and 11 lives lost.
There are 1418 COVID-19 patients in hospital, with 56 in ICU.
Hospitalisation numbers were up on Sunday, when 1355 patients were being cared for with 50 in ICU.
Of the new cases, 9981 came from positive rapid antigen tests while 5591 came from PCR testing.
Victoria has reported 10,011 cases in the previous reporting period and one death. Across the state there were 305 people with the disease in hospital and 17 in the ICU.
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