Canberra Covid false positive results confirmed for 11th person

The individual was one of 11 people who received a false positive test on Wednesday, creating concern an outbreak had occurred in Canberra.

All 11 people have now received a negative test result, concluding that the mix-up presented no risk to the community.

The tests were conducted at a private pathologist. ACT Health said an investigation into how it occurred was under way.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr rejected a suggestion on Friday that the mix-up inferred private pathologists weren't cut out for the job.

Mr Barr said while tests from government sites were processed at government pathology labs, the capacity wasn't there to manage all tests.

The chief minister told ABC the investigation would focus on whether a contaminated sample caused the mix-up and the protocol that followed tests picking up traces of COVID-19.

"In this instance, there was an error at a private and voluntary lab. We are seeking information from that lab as to how the error occurred," Mr Barr said.

He said the process that followed, whereby the lab contacted the GP where the tests took place, had sent rumours circulating on Wednesday and Thursday.

"The world loves a bit of gossip and everyone's an expert at the moment and knows someone who knows someone in someone's office or in the pathology lab or whatever," he said.

"I think the important point to reinforce is that if there are cases in the ACT and there are exposure sites or risks then we are on it.

"I'm living this every day and I have now for 18 months. So I am constantly on edge, constantly on-call together with the Chief Health Officer and the Health Minister," he said.

Mr Barr said there was a small sense of relief each day the ACT returned zero cases, but it was a day-to-day proposition until everyone was vaccinated.

"In the end, in all of this, there's, there's one source of truth. And that's ACT Health," Mr Barr said.

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