Canberra records 18 new COVID-19 cases as Australia passes 80% vaccination milestone for over-16s

Canberra recorded 18 new cases in total on Saturday, with the school which already had 31 cases at the core of the rise.

Several other schools also have news cases but they were not identified by officials while assessments were done of whether they need to be closed on Monday.

Apart from Wanniassa, Ainslie, Gordon and St Anthony's Parish Primary were also known to have had cases. It's not known what their current situation is.

Across the ACT, Saturday's figures took the active total to 136 cases with the disease, taking the number of cases associated with this current outbreak to 1716. Of the two people hospitalised with the virus, one was in intensive care requiring ventilation.

The percentage of the eligible ACT population who are now fully vaccinated has reached 94.4 per cent. There were 1123 negative test results on Friday.

The Wanniassa School outbreak was at the top of officials' agenda. On top of that, risk assessments were being carried out involving another two unnamed schools

Parents were told a week ago about a case at Wanniassa, though it is not clear if the initial infection was of a student or teacher or someone who visited from outside. Either way, the result was closure of the junior campus.

All students, teachers and visitors since the previous Monday were directed to get a test. Wanniassa School senior campus, Gordon Primary School and St Anthony's Parish Primary School had positive cases on site but were able to remain open.

There were 1123 negative test results on Friday.

The latest figures follow Friday's news that a man aged in his 40s died with the virus as a further six cases were recorded. He is the youngest person to have died with COVID-19 in this outbreak and was being treated in the intensive care unit, ACT Health said.

The Canberra Times understands the man was not vaccinated, however Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith and ACT Health would not confirm the man's vaccination status, citing privacy reasons.

It's understood no fully vaccinated people have been treated for COVID-19 in the ICU in Canberra since the outbreak started in August.

A man in his 60s, whose death was confirmed by ACT Health on Monday, was previously the youngest person to have died in this outbreak.

New sites have been added for close and casual exposure risks across the ACT.

The most recently listed sites include two Club Lime gyms, a gymnastics centre and two swimming pool locations.

The gaming area of the Burns Club in Kambah was also listed as a casual exposures site between 8pm and 10pm on Monday, and 10pm and 11.55pm on Thursday.

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Australia has hit another vaccine milestone, with above 80 per cent of its over-16 population now double-vaxxed.

It is a milestone set to trigger the latest tranche of reopening.

The week came with progress months in the making. International arrivals returned without quarantine.

Victoria and NSW, not always allies, flung open their border after months of isolation. Tasmania waived a pre-departure test requirement for most states before Christmas.

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NSW has added 270 new locally acquired infections to its COVID-19 caseload, while a further three deaths have been recorded.

NSW now has 89.4 per cent of its population aged 16 years and older fully vaccinated while 93.8 per cent have had a single dose.

Meanwhile, regional areas in NSW with lower vaccination rates are experiencing their first outbreaks.

Victoria has recorded 1268 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and seven more people have died, as punters ready themselves for the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival.

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