ACT COVID-19 vaccination programs faces constraint if outbreak explodes as workforce struggles to keep up

A stretched health workforce is being put under an intense pressure test with up to 4500 Canberrans identified as potential close contacts of a case.

Close contacts have been prioritised for testing, but on Friday scores were sent home after waiting up to nine hours.

Wait times dramatically decreased on Saturday afternoon after an extra lane opened at EPIC and a swab could be taken every 30 seconds.

A drive-through site will be established at Kambah on Tuesday and a pop-up clinic is dedicated to people affected by the Gold Creek School exposure sites.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said ACT Health was experiencing workforce issues as a result of the lockdown.

"At this stage, our vaccination program has not slowed down due to the current increase in testing demand. This may have to be reconsidered if the outbreak grows," Mr Barr said.

The government said redeploying staff from vaccination hubs would be a last resort, but nothing was ruled out in a pandemic.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith again apologised to those caught in lengthy delays and stuck in their car while staff churned through a record 4500 swabs on Friday - more than four times the usual daily intake.

Another 2254 vaccinations were administered across government sites.

But pressure is mounting on the system.

Staff have been redeployed from administrative roles, while authorities look to pull workers from across the private sector and seek help from the Department of Defence.

Discussion is under way on how and when medical students could get involved.

More than half of eligible residents have one dose of the vaccine and almost 30 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Mr Barr earlier declared it was a race Canberra could win.

The chief minister said outbreaks had led to surges in vaccine demand in other jurisdictions, particularly for AstraZeneca, and could also be reflected in the ACT.

"If this trend continues, then we may reach 70 per cent of the population with at least one dose in September," he said.

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Mr Barr said government-run hubs would not offer AstraZeneca to those under 30, but it was widely available across pharmacies and general practices.

"It's been said many times that the best vaccine is the one available to you right now and that is definitely the case," he said.

The Canberra Liberals have written to the the chief and health ministers calling for a triage system and improved facilities at testing sites.

"We ask you to consider the introduction of measures that require people seeking testing to identify, either prior to attending a testing site or immediately upon arrival, whether or not they are in a priority group," Opposition leader Elizabeth Lee and deputy leader Giulia Jones wrote.

They were concerned about people mingling during long waits and called for better measures, including check-ins, to be adopted.

Mr Barr urged anyone in line for a test to have a mask and avoid close contact with others.

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