Wanniassa School, Monash Primary COVID outbreaks grow as more Canberra schools exposed to virus

At least one active COVID-19 case attended Monash Primary School while infectious on Monday, November 8. Year 2 classes and year 5-6 classes were sent correspondence about this exposure.

Orana Steiner School was already listed as a COVID-19 exposure site for November 1, 2 and 4. This has now been expanded to Monday, November 8 to Wednesday, November 10.

This week ACT chief health officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said most students had caught the virus at gatherings outside of the school environment.

She said two sites had experienced transmission: Wanniassa School junior campus and Erindale College.

On Thursday it was revealed that police attended a house party in Wanniassa on Saturday, October 30, which had sparked a cluster of 33 COVID-19 cases, including some which are believed to have attended schools.

However, other parties are understood to have been held that same night in Banks and Oxley although ACT Health was unable to offer information about whether those parties also resulted in COVID cases.

The ACT Public Health Emergency Declaration has been extended until February 12 2022.

The extension comes "in recognition of the ongoing case numbers of COVID-19 in the ACT" and will support the updated public health directions from Friday, according to ACT Health.

The declaration gives ACT chief health officer Kerryn Coleman special powers to take any action or give any direction that may be necessary to keep the community safe.

Restrictions eased on Friday, the most notable change being the dropping of the requirement to wear masks indoors.

But masks are still required for crowded settings and for the what the ACT government calls "front of house hospitality". They must also be worn on airline flights, in airport terminals, on buses, taxis, trams and in schools for years 7 to 12.

The new rules allow allocated, ticketed seating in cinemas, the reopening of nightclubs and no limit on the number of visitors to homes. Clubbers will be able to eat and drink standing up rather than having to get a table.

If there are 25 or fewer people in a hairdresser, food court, restaurant or pub, or place of worship, there are no restrictions on numbers.

If the numbers exceed 25, the distancing rule of one person per two square metres applies (down from one person per four square metres).

Outdoor venues like Canberra Stadium and Manuka Oval are allowed to be full to capacity for the fixed seating.

However, the limit of two visitors to residential aged care facilities and only by vaccinated people still applies.

Nationally, the first dose vaccination rate across the country reached 90.1 per cent on Friday for those aged 16 and older.

In the ACT, the vaccination rate reached 96 per cent.

Meanwhile, the ACT reported 15 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm Thursday.

There was no one in an ACT hospital with an active case of the virus.

The new cases bring the active total to 154, while the number of cases associated with this outbreak now stands at 1793.

The ACT government has issued an update to high-risk geographical locations in Victoria and NSW, as Canberrans embrace new freedoms introduced in the territory on Friday.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people who travel to high-risk locations in these states will need to apply for an exemption upon return to Canberra and quarantine.

Fully vaccinated people will need to fill out a declaration form, but will not be required to quarantine.

Only those who had their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before travelling will be considered fully vaccinated.

Added to the list:

Still considered high-risk since the last update:

Removed from high-risk locations:

Added to the list:

Still considered high-risk since last update:

Removed from the list:

The following schools have had an exposure in the past two weeks: