Canberra records 21 new cases of Covid on Friday in lockdown

Of the new cases, 15 are linked to known cases.

Six people were infectious while in the community. The isolation status of one case remains under investigation.

A child under the age of 12 is among 11 people who have been hospitalised with COVID-19. The remaining 10 people are adults, including a woman in her 40s remains in critical condition in intensive care.

ACT chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said the vast majority of people were unvaccinated or had one dose which reflected that most infections in Canberra were in people under 45.

Dr Coleman said two people have recovered from the virus and there are now 209 active cases.

She said there are 15 cases linked to the Bright Bees early learning centre and 46 cases associated with Lyneham High School, a further 34 cases are linked to Fiction nightclub.

Almost 8000 people were released from quarantine on Friday after entering 14 days ago when the territory lockdown began.

There are now 3,500 close contacts and 3,300 casual contacts identified.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has announced click and collect services will be allowed to commence for small non-essential retail businesses.

The new public health direction will come into effect from 11.59pm Friday.

Retail businesses with no more than 20 full-time equivalent employees can operate contactless pick up and delivery services.

There can be no more than two people at the business premises at one time.

All other businesses which have not been allowed to operate throughout lockdown can now have up to two people enter the premises for emergency reasons or for essential maintenance.

Essential services including hardware stores, pet stores and office supplies stores must now also move to click and collect services.

Mr Barr has also announced there will be a gradual return for the construction sector from September 3.

Hundreds of exposure sites listed on the ACT Health website have been archived, with 247 locations now listed.

Exposure locations are archived once more than 14 days has elapsed since the date of exposure.

Mr Barr has foreshadowed however it will be a long time before Canberra returns to life before the outbreak and that small, moderate steps would be taken out of lockdown.

The lockdown is due to end on September 2.

More to come.

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